Poison in the Wine
by SaneTwin1-2
Summary: Alice is the poison in the wine. She is sweet and inviting, divine even, but the overall taste results in disaster. And if given the temptation again, Isabella wouldn't hesitate. Summary hides twists. In between T and M. All Human. Stalker!Alice
1. Prologue 1

**Disclaimer: None of this is mine. None of it. **

**A/N: I know, another story. But I plan on finishing all of my stories, so just stick with it. **

Isabella slowly opened her cupboard, blindly reaching for some kind of glass. The sounds of mugs, cups, and glasses tinkling against each other arose as Isabella's fingertips clumsily groped past them. The reward brought a cool glass against her palm and almost instantly, Isabella's fingers constricted tightly around it.

Isabella sighed, closing the cupboard door softly as she placed the cup against the counter, pouring what has been longed and craved for since the moment she woke up. It sloshed against the sides as she poured it blindly, carelessly hoping it all falls into one place. She really doesn't need to clean up another mess, yesterday was more than enough.

Isabella groaned at just the thought of it, taking her drink to the far corner of the counter. What misery. Ten investors suddenly dropping their business, all in one single day. What would today bring? Another drop? Another disinterested customer? Bella sighed, running her free hand through her tousled, wet hair as she slumped against the counter.

Honestly, she probably will loose another investor. Today's economy is not very friendly with many businesses, but it seems especially short with hers. Snipping off investors and biting off branches, it's like an angry, rapid dog; if this continues, who knows what will happen. Well, the financial advisers know what will happen, but Bella just grimaces and lifts her cup, prying away that thought.

The lip of the mug graces her lower lip as she takes a large gulp, tipping back her head as her face pinches into a tight expression. Her lips curl as the liquor burns down her throat, swelling heavily into her chest. The warmth that bloats in her chest is nothing like the rageful fire in her throat. It's like swallowing gasoline then setting a match.

But she didn't pay much attention, swallowing down the burn as she set the mouth of her cup to her lips again. What will come of her business today?

_Slam!_ Isabella jumps, her head snapping up to catch her fiancé sending her a sheepish grin before heading off towards the bathroom. She sighed, pursing her lips as she appraises her clothes that now seems to be proudly sporting the stains of her Jack Daniels.

_Fuck._ Shaking her hand, she wiped the remaining liquor on her pants as she hastily gulped down the rest of her drink, setting it down. A quick glance at the bathroom door gave Isabella the peaking suspicion that Edward was training lions in her bathroom, or some other wild creature. Why else would there be so many fumbling noises and crashes? Either way, it instantly redirects her to her bedroom. She doesn't have time to take another shower anyway.

All together, it takes her seven minutes to undress and dress completely. Including putting her four-inch heeled shoes back on, that honestly, are far, far too small. But a size up would require for her to admit that her feet have grown from a size five. So her pinky toe suffers silently as it rubs against the close toed shoe. Again.

And those seven minutes are all together too long. Because now she only has twenty-three minutes to get out of her apartment, cross the street and pass two blocks to board the 6:30 bus. Something she regularly has a comfortable thirty minutes to do.

Grumbling, Isabella stalks out of her room, and out from her door, ducking the morning kiss she always accepts from the corner of her mouth every morning from Edward. She feels somewhat bad as she strides to the door, unlatching the lock, and swinging it open wildly. So she casts a glance over her shoulder at Edward, who simply smiles happily at her before padding towards their shared kitchen. It caught her in mid step.

Isabella slowly lets go of the door handle, watching it as it clicks in place, shutting off her sight of her apartment. She momentarily ignores the fact that her twenty-three minute time slot is shortening with every second. Sometimes she forgets about Edward, doesn't she?

Not him overall of course. No, she remembers the small imprints of him. The warmth of his body as it presses up against hers, or the smell of Old Spice in the hazy morning light, between waking and resigning to falling back to sleep. She remembers the look of him, his toned pale skin, the crooked, unhinged grin and his copper light hair.

But sometimes Edward blurs into just another person, another face she has to forcibly interact with. And she forgets about Edward. The person in general, how he always smiles at her, even when she snaps or looses her shortening temper.

How it feels when he holds her, not the fact that he is warm, but the fact that he feels safe. Not only safe, but comfortable, loving and all around just…good. There is nothing risky about him, nothing that surprises her anymore. Having lived with him for years, there is not a single detail that has been left unraveled and undiscovered. And that's how she likes it.

Sighing lightly, Isabella left with a soft, contented smile, momentarily lifted.

But it lasts no longer than .7 seconds, because as she turns, the light beeping of the departing elevator intruded her mind. Sending her in an urgent trot, her heels throbbed in her four-inch heels as they pounded against the tiled floor.

When the metal doors closed, Isabella let out a feral snarl, one that trailed after her as she shot down the staircase. Her steps were frantic as they moved swiftly down the steps, prancing down levels with a lightning and rather dangerous speed. Her hands very barely ghosted past the railings as she finally hopped onto ground level of her apartment.

Nineteen minutes left.

_Fuck_

She very barely made it. It feels like everything is working against her. The spill of her Jack Daniels, the elevator departing, and the long treacherous walk to the 6:30 bus. The second landed on 59 of 6:29 the moment her close-toed shoes stepped upon the bus, lifting herself into the cool air as the engine seemed to groan in her arrival.

It was empty. As it is every morning. Honestly, why this particular bus stays at the corner of Hampton Street every single morning at 6:30 for only her is beyond Bella. One would think the gas expenses would be regretful to only transport one person to their work every morning. But it remains at the corner of Hampton street every single morning at 6:30 for only her without fail. So she doesn't complain. At least this business has commitment.

Isabella sits in the very back, facing the window as the bus driver tiredly fumbles with the radio. His engine growls, groans and splutters before finally rearing the beast to life. Music filters through the static of the bus driver's radio, filling the silence of the musty air.

Sighing, Isabella slumps against her seat and stares out of the window, pulling her suitcase onto her lap as she watches the buildings and streetlights pass by.

She has a disheartened feeling by the time she has stepped up to her company's building, sliding open the large glass door and slipping inside. Seventeenth floor. At least the elevator is available.

The receptionist instantly straightens up as Isabella steps out from the sliding doors, her eyes frantic as they flicker across her computer screen. Her hands flutter about, as if it wasn't obvious she was clicking through online shopping sites, her pen scribbling down supposed notes.

Isabella rolls her eyes and strides past. Honestly, she wonders why all of her employees have some built-in fear of her, it's not like she's cruel or any-

"Cringston!" Barked Isabella, narrowing her eyes at one of her employees who is, unfortunately fiddling with a rubrics cube at a wrong time. Instantly after hearing his name, the man slumped down in his seat, as if to make him look smaller and unnoticeable among his other peers. "Drop the game and get back to work, or I will make sure that your life will be just as impossible as, undoubtedly, that cube is to you."

Mr. Cringston nods quickly and returns to his computer, his spine stiff and uncomfortable, only tightening more as the sound of Isabella's office door clicks shut.

The day rolls by slowly, painful even. Investors are at least not dropping like flies. Some seem curious, sniffing the air with a wavering dedication, balancing on the fence to either keep their business or make a dash for it. Leaving the company with nothing to do but wait on tenterhooks.

By the end of the day, nothing progressed. Nothing. Sure, she argued with some of the stubborn investors, but none had even decided to drop her, which would at least give her a sign of whether or not she had a job tomorrow or not. But by the end, Isabella was just as stressed as the day before. But that's just how life is. It's a cycle of misery that just adds more factors along the way. It's whether you accept these terms or not that makes any difference. You can tread the dark waters carefully and wait for the tides to calm, or you can fight it all the way to the bottom, all the way until you are drowning and you don't even want to swim anymore. Just swallowed by the sea.

The long haul home from work was even more treacherous as her slow crawl towards it. One of her employees had made a mess with the written documents of the amount of debts waiting to be paid from one investor, giving the wrong factor of numbers to the director and causing hell to rain down on Isabella. She had to miss her 9:45 bus ride home just so she could sort out the problem and apologize to the customer.

Trudging through the door, Isabella sighs softly, collapsing into one of her chairs. She forgoes dinner, feeling her stomach tighten at just the thought of food. Stress was squirming in her stomach like a bunch of worms, eating away at her bit by bit.

"Tough day?" Edward's soft velvety voice met her in the darkness as hard hands clamped around her shoulders. It was supposed to be comforting as his large fingers worked into her tight muscles, but honestly, she just felt irritated.

Isabella didn't answer him, but straightened instead, rolling her shoulders as if to roll the question right off her back. All it did was roll his hands off her shoulders. Which worked just as well.

She rose from the chair and padded to the cupboard, blindly grasping for a cup, glass or mug. It didn't matter. She just needed something to ebb the growing disappointment from today. Edward had apparently followed her there, despite her not hearing a sound. Glancing down unenthusiastically, she noticed his bare feet next to her four-inch heels.

Crinkling her nose, she looked away. He always had the nastiest toes.

A careful, gentle hand rose and grasped a cup. A white mug was pulled out with black italics stating_: I Love Lucy_ across its front. Her mother gave her that cup to her four Christmases ago. She always hated it. Who was Lucy, and why exactly did her mother feel the need to tell her this via cup? She never asked and honestly, forgot about its existence until now.

But it's a cup, and she really needs a drink. So she grasped its white handle and tiredly poured herself another glass. Usually she only has one glass a day, but it's not bad if you pour yourself two (or three), just to soften the edge of it, right?

"Hey," Edward's soft voice rumbled in his chest, vibrating against her back as he pressed up against her. His hold wasn't comforting now, it was irritating. She wanted him to stop. "It's going to get better Bells, I promise."

Isabella wanted to ask him how he was going to do that, how was he going to fix this? But she just swallowed her drink and closed her eyes, feeling the pleasurable burn bristle through her. Any words burned up in her throat as she slowly relaxed, the stress and resentment dwindling into small embers that will no doubt reignite again for tomorrow.

But for now, she let herself believe Edward's words.

That everything was going to change, that it would be better. Even by some small chance, she wished for things to be different.

And unknown to her, things would. Completely.

For better or for worse

**Don't judge me, JAP will be updated. But this story has been stuck in my head for a while, and summer just isn't as free as I remember it to be. However, this is kind of a story I have to commit to, since it will be long. Chapter one really doesn't indicate where I'm taking the story from here, but if you stick with it I'm sure it will be worth it. **

**Next chapter has Alice!**


	2. Prologue 2

**Hello there! Hi. You should know that this prologue, and the rest of prologue 3 is written purely from exhaustion. Yes. Summer came and went without really a break. I got a job, got summer exams and essays, and now it's intermingling with my ACTUAL school. Yes, exhaustion free of charge. So yeah, heres that. **

**I think I should tell you that you wont know where I am taking this story until the end of Prologue 3. Since I split up the Prologues…last chapter was one, this is two, and the next one (that hopefully will be up soon) will be number three. Yup. **

**Also. I know somethings in this chapter, and ALL of last chapter was fairly boring. I agree. But I have never done a story so commited to plot before, and I want to make it gradual and without as many loopholes as possible. Yesss…hopefully I will succeed. **

**OH YEAH. And sorry, This is completley unbetad. :'( I apologize for mistakes.**

**Reviews are my happiness. You don't want a sad author do you? D:**

Isabella's heels clicked loudly against the cement. It was the tick of her heels against the pavement that aired an almost constant fume of irritation through her. One would figure a sound so meaningless would be left completely disregarded, but to Bella it was the only thing she could concentrate on.

It was like clockwork. The flat tips of her four-inch heels stepped off the curve and merged into the streets the_ very moment_ the clock turned 6:07_. Just like yesterday. _

She now had exactly twenty-three minutes to reach the 6:30 bus instead of her comfortable thirty. The tick of her heels now seems to only mock her as she stalked down the cement, creating a perfect imitation of the quickly depleting seconds that eat up her twenty three minutes.

How did she even fall into the same time crunch as before? She woke up, showered in exactly five minutes, finished her drink (without any unnecessary spillage), and stepped into the elevator with the doors closing right behind her, exactly on time.

It made no sense. Maybe the elevator had halted without her notice and ate up seven minutes. Or maybe time _had _actuallystopped spastically, and then decided to speed up for good measure. Or maybe Edward changed her alarm clock to allow her more sleep_._

Isabella pursed her lips, stopping momentarily to think that prospect through. Could he? It would be something he would do. To _'_'help' her. Even though he knows she has to walk to the bus everyday or she will miss her ride to work.

"_Uh!_" Bella groaned loudly as she trudged on, stomping a little more forcefully than before. _Of course he did. __  
><em>  
>It seems so small. Seven minutes. It would hardly affect her life, right. Whether she remembers it or not, Isabella did reach the bus yesterday. Her morning was hardly ruined by any devastating travesties and those four-hundred-and-twenty seconds passed by without causing any internal damage. So why would it matter?<p>

It would have been insignificant, if she was anyone but Bella.

It may be childish or even considered immature, but Isabella _needs_ organization. She isn't one to suddenly act on spontaneity. Her days must be written out plainly with her numerous lists and managements magnetized to her fridge or pinned neatly to her wall. She needs her day to flow with _constant_continuity. Or else it doesn't work

And Edward fractured that. It was a sweet thought. One that he may have thought would go completely unnoticed by his fiancé. But apparently he hadn't put into consideration that his fiancé was...well, _his fiancé_.

Isabella pursed her lips. It really shouldn't be such a big deal. It was just seven minutes. But this small insignificant detail makes her want to turn around and tell Edward off. But what use would that be now? Edward had undoubtedly taken their only car and left for work, as he does every day._ He_at least will not be late for work. And anyhow, it would only case a more drastic fracture in her already crunched time.

Wetness prickled against Bella's forearm. Misty dew layered her pale, soft skin, gathering in the folds of her clothes and coating her long, dark eyelashes. The sky apparently deemed it appropriate to start raining, making it apparent that the universe _enjoys_irritating her.

Bella released a brisk sigh, forcing her slow, cramped muscles to move a little faster. Just a few more streets, one block and all the way down to Hampton Street. She could make it. Just like she did yesterday.

By the time Hampton Street was in view, the soles of Isabella's feet throbbed. The cold shape of her shoes cut sharply into the soft, aching bruises that now marked her skin. Making a quick dash for it probably wasn't the brightest of ideas, but at least she made it.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Isabella slowed down to a trudging halt. The sparkling engagement ring around her finger seemed to tighten in resentment as she tried to loosen its tight grip. She drew an irritated breath as it was pulled from her finger, leaving an angry, red mark against her skin. Clenching her fingers, she pocketed the ring in her clad pocket with plans of leaving it there for the rest of the day. Her ring finger throbbed in thanks.

Rising her head, Isabella halted again. Her body momentarily went rigid, but as if her muscles didn't quite understand her brain's malfunction, continued to move not a moment later. Her head however, was still reeling. At the corner of Hampton Street, a usually vacated place, stood a small woman. This fact alone wasn't perplexing, but the paradox of finding a single woman - in the midst of hundreds in a city alone - alarming.

Isabella's eyes instantly met the dark mass of hair framing the woman's pixie-like face. Even from a distance, the short-cropped hair seemed to shimmer, glinting from afar like the dark feathers of a raven.

Isabella's eyes made their decent, regarding the smooth expanse of a pale forehead. Despite the coldness of the morning, the woman's skin seemed to take an almost ethereal glow, as if illuminated by a silvery, inner light. Meanwhile, the rest of the human population appears to have suffered from an apocalypse of sorts, and in turn, has reverted into sickly, pale creatures.

Isabella's careful inspection of a thin nose was cut short by the abrupt shape of a book. The drastic change of skin to paper was enough to pull Isabella from her revere, or at least allowed her to walk with a general aim of direction.

Her four-inched heels clicked loudly against the cement.

_Seven minutes _later than her normal schedule.

If life had gone according to Isabella's strictly marked plan, Mary Alice Cullen would have walked right by the bus without any delay. If Isabella hadn't woken up seven minutes later, she would have aboard her 6:30 bus seven minutes early and thus _missed_Alice as she walked by.

However, life _hadn't_gone according to Isabella's plan, and instead, written itself a new one. A plan in which the loud click of Isabella's heels became an insistent irritation to another persons working mind. An irritating repetition that forced that person to move their eyes from the pages of their book and look up.

And meet Isabella.

Fate collided. Alice instantly faltered. The entire world seemed to stop on its axis, and in turn, forgot to orbit around the sun. The universe stopped its cosmic existence, halting in time simply to extend the fleeting seconds existing within their moment. Oxygen must have been sucked out from the atmosphere because when Alice drew a breath, it only came up short. Alice's heart fluttered, her pulse thrumming like the quick beats of a hummingbird's flapping wings.

Life's meaning and true inspiration derived directly from Isabella, her future unfolding from the presence of a complete stranger. Neither rhyme nor reason could deduct the conclusion Alice had sketched in her head. This stranger was inevitably, irrevocably tied to her. Her past and present might as well have disappeared, because anything before this fell apart, becoming completely irrelevant. As long as their future was intertwined.

However, Isabella had a very...different conclusion.

Her eyes flickered to the woman's intense, hazel eyes and instantly...felt nothing. She blinked, her eyebrows furrowing as the woman deemed it appropriate to extend their eye contact as much as possible. Her book had fallen to her side, held limply with loose fingers as the woman stagnated on the spot; watching her with a determined, smoldering gaze.

Isabella nearly missed her footing. Her attention seemed to be absorbed purely on a woman - a complete stranger - who apparently refused to drop ones eye contact. Raising her chin, Isabella's lip curled in distaste. How impeccably odd. The people of this city confused her.

No matter, Isabella wasn't about to let this one weird incident make her late. Dropping her eyes, she focused on the metal steps that opened up to the bus.

As Isabella's head jerked away, it broke the trance the woman opposite of her had fallen into, jumping Alice head first into her slightly fractured view of reality. She felt an attachment to Isabella. To feel so connected to someone, it must be returned, right? She couldn't have been the only one to feel so enlightened.

Her mind whirled with applicable possibilities. Yet only managed to come up with one. As Isabella strode purposefully toward the bus, seizing the railing and pulling herself aboard, Alice mimicked her. Well, she tried to. Being a lot smaller than Isabella, she found it nearly impossible to stride purposefully toward closing doors, and instead ended up in an urgent, desperate trot.

The doors closed sharply. Alice cried out, scrambling to an abrupt stop right in front of the doors as her palms struck the windowpane for justice. Like a dog locked outside, her fingernails scratched against the door in a desperate attempt for attention. She nearly jumped back as the doors swung open again, revealing a shocked bus driver and an even more shocked Isabella.

Smiling sheepishly, Alice climbed aboard. The woman gracelessly walked through the thick tension that seemed to bounce against the walls of their small containment. A butcher knife wouldn't be able to dent the quickly growing tension. It solidified like a rock as Isabella's eyes narrowed suspiciously, her lips tightening with displeasure.

The bus driver simply cleared his throat, a silent bystander to whatever the hell was going on between the two women. And to make it worse, as Isabella turned and slowly made her way to her seat, Alice followed. Roughly out of thirty-seven seats, Alice swiftly took the seat next to her. Isabella grew visibly more hostile.

It was awkward to say the least, if you asked the bus driver's opinion. But nobody did, so he just started the engine and slowly peeled away from the curb.

Isabella huffed, her tightly pursed lips thinning into a straight, angry line. She jerked her head away, staring angrily out the window as her fingers drummed idly against the armrest. Alice couldn't have been more oblivious. She simply stared happily at Isabella with a beaming, happy smile.

The dull edge of Bella's manicured fingernails dug into her skin, creating half-moon imprints upon her pale, soft skin. Her heart was swarming with a thick suspicion, clouding her thoughts and infiltrating her bloodstream. With a small jerk of her head, Isabella's eyes flickered cautiously to her somewhat forced company, her insides worming with an uncomfortable, clenching sensation.

Through her peripherals, Alice appeared to be in a cross fire of hesitation. A gentle hand hung limply in the air with a slender, nimble finger stretched out as if to poke Isabella's shoulder for her attention. Frowning, Isabella shifted away, edging to the very corner as she pulled her suitcase onto her lap. It wasn't barbed wire, but for now, it would do.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Alice slump back into her seat, a soft sigh eluding from her lips. Her hand dropped limply in her lap, her thumb and pointer finger ruffling the pages of the old, dog-eared book in the mist of her absent mind. However, despite her faux object of attention, Alice's eyes were still intently locked on Bella.

The bus driver said nothing, but kept his eyes flickering to the review mirror to watch this interaction take place. It was still exceedingly awkward, and the tension in the room seemed adamant to keep growing.

Isabella fiddled with the lock on her suitcase, using the soft pad of her thumb to roll against the slots of numbers into entirely different combinations. She was just about to open her suitcase with the correct lock combination when a soft hesitant sound caught Isabella from her inner musings. Jumping slightly, she turned her attention to the woman beside her.

The woman's attention had apparently fixated upon Isabella's fiddling fingers. This made Isabella's stomach muscles squirm uncomfortably. She could never really digest awkward situations very well. Alice appeared to love creating them however, because as she looked up, her lips moved in the creation of words that Isabella really wished she just hadn't said.

"Did you know that locks with number combinations are actually fairly easy to crack?" Alice beamed, as if her words weren't _highly_uncomfortable. Does this woman ever have normal interactions with people? Because conversation is definitely not her exceeding skill at all.

Isabella just stared evenly at the woman, her lips twitching into a displeased line. Alice didn't appear deterred in the slightest. In fact, as she leaned closer to Bella, her words simply continued flowing in its smooth, tinkling voice. "Yup. You see, there are four slots in the lock, each containing the numbers zero to nine, am I correct?" Isabella frowned, but nodded nonetheless. "Excellent! So, with this particular lock, there is a likelihood of 40 possible combinations, give or take a few. Taking the situation, if one had enough time, they could easily just check every possible combination starting from zero." Alice flickered her eyes up to Isabella, grinning effortlessly as she just as easily disregarded the obvious signs of discomfort from Isabella.

But when Isabella opened her mouth to try and end this painful conversation, Alice pulled full-steam ahead, and effectively brought them _back_ into it. "But the _interesting_thing about locks is that when someone chooses their lock, it's never random. Even if they mean it to be. It's all derived from previous things. To people who know the particular person well enough, the number could easily be confiscated from them without them even having to say a word..."

Alice drifted off as Isabella's expression remained stony and disinterested, leveling her with an even glare. Alice's stomach clenched and squirmed, feeling as if worms now infested her organs. But before she could invest in any apologies, Isabella's pink lips parted softly. As if words would simply pour out from opening her mouth, Alice instantly straightened and clamped her mouth shut in patient silence, waiting for Isabella to speak. "And you know this because...?"

"Oh! I read it in an article! It was really interesting, they had all sorts of information! Did you know that green eyes are only found in 1-2 percent of people? Or that when someone lacks enough melanin pigment when they are born, their eyes appear a light shade of violet?" Alice very quickly became animated; turning completely to Bella as she retold what appeared to be all of man's gathered information on this earth.

Though reluctantly, Isabella found herself slowly growing amused. The shorter woman had a slight tinge of rosy pink to her cheeks as the rapid fire of her words whipped out from the constant movement of her lips. It was dorky, and slightly adorable in Isabella's standards.

"Did you know that when people jump from a building, it's rarely ever the impact that kills them?" But overall, still highly irritating.

Isabella quirked an eyebrow, silently prodding Alice to continue. She very rarely speaks these days; it's a wonder that she doesn't forget the sound of her voice. But she's just starting to enjoy the sound of the woman's. Her voice is almost like a chime, it chirps sweetly like the old clock against her father's office; a bird popping out of its wooden door to chirp after every hour. It's almost comforting in an odd way.

Figures the moment Isabella calms down, the bus would lurch to a stop. Isabella and Alice jump in surprise. Alice yelps like a scared puppy and practically jumps from her seat. She looks around startled, as if she had entirely forgotten she was on the bus.

"Is this your stop?" Alice asks softly, her voice lowering as apprehension crept through her words. Bella nods softly, managing a brief smile as she dipped down to take a hold of her suitcase. Alice drooped, her smile slackening into a loose form of an 'O'. She dipped her head as she shuffled in her seat, making room for Isabella's departing figure.

Isabella felt lighter as she walked swiftly to the end of the bus, the doors opening quickly with a strong jerk from the bus driver's lever. But just as Isabella was about to step from the old bus, a soft voice called out from inside, making her falter.

"Wait!" There was a sound of hurried footsteps as Isabella turned around. The short form of the woman came into view as she tenderly grasped a cold metal railing, lingering around the opening as their eyes locked. "I didn't catch your name."

Isabella's suspicion clouded through her again. Why would she need her name? It's not like there is a possibility she would meet her again? But the soft inclination of the girl's hopeful voice stopped her, making her swallow any rude, impulsive retorts as the truth slithered through.

"It's Isabella." She smiled softly as the woman positively beamed. Bella turned slowly, her heels clicking loudly against each metal step that gradually met the ground.

It was only when the doors closed did she catch the softest of voices call out, "My name's Alice!"

* * *

><p>"Yes Mr. Carson, I completely understand your frustration. However, I can assure you that our corporation has been nothing but dedicated to you and your investments." Isabella spoke calmly into the telephone. Leaning back into her chair, Isabella clicked her pen absently.<p>

This is how it has been from the moment she stepped inside. It was utter chaos. Her employees were frantically speaking through every phone as they begged, pleaded and even barbed their investments into staying. To no avail. So of course, the moment she stepped in, they practically threw their phones in her face, begging for her to fix it.

Emily Daren was biting the tip of her thumb anxiously as she waited for Isabella to end the call. Now and days, if you loose a single investor, you could loose your job. So pushing all the weight onto Isabella's shoulders seemed to be the appropriate idea for all of her employees.

"Mr. Carson. I have to stop you there. What are you worried about? I _just_said we are not falling under, our corporation is as strong and supportive as it always has been." A thick silence. "Now, Mr. Carson, we have had your business for twelve years, that's a long time. I would hate for you to drop it all on a single insecurity." Sometimes lying is the only way to get through.

Emily gulped, her wide eyes watching Ms. Swan anxiously as she swiveled calmly in her chair. She drew a sharp breath as Isabella suddenly halted, her thumb pressing down against the tip of her pen, adjusting the phone against her ear. There was a tense silence, one that Emily didn't dare breathe in. Her fingers weaved in anxiously as she watched her boss nervously.

Suddenly, Isabella broke out into a brilliant smile. "Fantastic Mr. Carson. It's great to have your business." Emily practically fainted. But her relief was short lived. Almost as quickly, Bella returned the phone with a click, as hard, cold eyes lifted and locked with Emily's. "Ms. Daren, if I have to clean up one of your mistakes again, I can assure you that you won't have to worry about being laid off to be out of a job."

And with that, she dipped her head, effectively excused Emily from her office. Emily was up and out before Isabella could even take another breath.

Bella sighed, leaning into her chair heavily. With her nimble fingers, she weaved them through her thick hair in hopes of getting the tousled locks in order. When it was ineffective, she simply pursed her lips and slumped into her chair. She needed things to change. She could still hear the chaotic movements of her employees busting about in a hurry, getting papers and whatever that could appeal their investors ever growing needs.

Without trying Bella's mind drifts back to that strange girl in the bus. The short-cropped hair flickers through her mind, her rosy, warm cheeks that crinkle into dimples, the warm and rather odd hazel eyes. They follow her in her mind; underneath her eyelids, they create a lasting, burning impression. The warm, tinkling voice-

_Knock_

"Ugh." Isabella groans, knocking her head back in exasperation. If it's another employee she's going to loose it. "Come in!" A man of short stature popped his head in, his dear-like eyes snapping to hers as he held the door close to his body, as if to use it as a shield.

"Mr. Jones wants to see you." The man's voice wobbled as Isabella straightened, her jaw unlatching in surprise. She blinked, swallowed nervously and nervously fixated on her jacket. It appeared to be on her. That's good. A good start. Now just one foot in front of another. Fantastic, she has the basics down.

Isabella nearly in a daze appeared by her bosses door, swallowing another mouthful of her nerves. The nervousness didn't leave her there, but instead infested in her stomach, worming through her bloodstream and weaving through every vein.

This can be a good sign, correct? She could be promoted? It doesn't at all mean the down fall of everything she has worked for. Gulping down a small whimper, she knocked her knuckles lightly against the door. A muffled voice beckoned her in, lousing her with a tiny string that lightly tugged her inside.

_Gulp. _Breathe Bella, breathe. "You wanted to see me, sir?" The man sitting there barely looked up. The light gray eyes flickered up from underneath his bushy eyebrows, and with a lethargic movement of his thick hand, he beckoned her closer.

The man sighed greatly, deflating in his chair as his fat, meaty fingers entwined in front of him. He looked like a giant toad; his wrinkled, leathery face seemed to forever create a look of displeasure and disappointment. Isabella could only swallow thickly, managing a wavering smile.

"Ms. Swan...may I call you Bella?" The man croaked out weakly. His voice slithered over her, leaving a slimy oil feeling that lingered in the pores of her skin and the figments in the air. Isabella could only nod weakly. The man grunted, leaning back again as if that simple movement was enough to leave him breathless. It probably did. "As you probably have guessed, our business is tumbling downward."

Isabella deflated. This couldn't be good. Her heart felt as if it were about to implode in her chest from all this waiting. _Oh god. _If this was the end, just say it already.

"The investors just aren't interested anymore. Apparently, they see more stable corporations available. All bull shit." The man grunted, his gravely, oily voice rumbling deeply in his chest. Meaty fingers cross again in front of her, his fat golden ring shimmering lightly in the dim, musty light. "What we need is to expand. Get out of this lazy area and into something more adventurous, more willing to take the risk."

Isabella blinked uncomprehendingly. The man's lips curled downward as his glazed, gray eyes observed Isabella's blank expression with distaste. Grunting deeply, the man continued. "Come on, catch up my dear. What we need is someone to manage that new branch. We already bought the place, worked it out with the managements and have everything organized, we just need someone to go down there and work the place."

Bella's heart started to pick up, pounding lightly in her ears. This couldn't be right. Is it possible she had misinterpreted what he was saying? Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? "Sir...are you suggesting that I am that new manager?" It was too good to be true. It couldn't be real.

"Temporary manager. Until we found a more stable underdog to rise up there. Then you can return back here. However, when you do return, since you are the investigator of this little corporation, we can give you superiority over the branch; so you can co-work with the new manager placed after you and still work over this branch. Understood?"

When Isabella only nodded dumbly, the man's lips curled into a smile. The thick, meaty fingers slid out into a desk and pulled out a folder. The thin vanilla cover bobbled back and forth, revealing darkly printed papers with what appeared to be a slim card with her face on it.

"These are your passports. We want you to get to the airport as early as 7:00 p.m. tomorrow. You will be leaving for New York, I expect this is acceptable?" Isabella was still gawking. Her mouth had suddenly dried out, her tongue scratched roughly against her teeth and the roof of her mouth. Everything felt like sandpaper. This isn't happening.

"Y-yes, of course." Isabella's shaking fingers took a hold of the folder. "Thank you sir, thank you so much." The words felt so odd on Isabella's tongue, her voice coming out almost rusty as tears swelled inside. Mr. Jones only grunted, returning to his paper work and dismissing her with a meaty wave of his hand.

Her heart nearly combusted. Pounding harshly in her chest, it felt like a hammer crashing against her rib cage. Her entire body seemed entirely unstable, like as if a knife had cut right down her sides, tearing apart her seams. She was falling apart. Her knees wobbled uselessly as she walked out the room, a new prickling sensation ravished her soft, pale flesh until it felt as sensitive as goose flesh.

She hardly remembered getting to her office, but somehow she made it. In fact, she was so high off her sudden success that she hardly noticed the hours ticking by. They passed like seconds to her, completely unnoticed and disregarded. Employees still bustled about, some even hustling into her room. But struck in a daze, she spoke quietly and calmly into each phone, instantly forgetting the words as they left her mouth.

The only thing that made a slight difference to her was the sudden gust of cold air that wrapped around her slim arms. Her skin prickled, rising into gooseflesh as the cold night air disarmed her. Isabella couldn't even care, her jacket lay limp against her body as the freezing air nipped playfully at her skin.

She walked through the night, her eyes struggling to adjust as her heels continued to click. Eventually the dim glow of the bus's highlights caught her sight. They streamed through the darkness like glowing bright eyes, staring at her with unblinking attention. Quickly, Isabella boarded the bus, her heels clicking loudly against each metal step.

And then she stopped.

Because as she turned, her eyes flickered over a small figure in the very back of the bus. Although everything remained a darkened gray, the shape of the form implied a very slim body, folded and slumped against the windowpane. The only movement was the slow rise and fall of her chest, dispelling soft breaths that visibly climbed up the glass. A dark mass of hair glinted in the darkness, appearing as a messy bundle of dark raven feathers.

_Alice. _

Isabella's blood ran cold. The bubbling joy of her success was tossed aside and chained tightly into the folds of her mind. She couldn't have been here the entire time. She must have left. It was simply coincidence that made their life collide again. But that thick swarm of humming suspicion clouded her mind again.

Glancing at the old bus driver, she swiftly sidled up next to him. The man looked up uneasily as a soft, uncertain smile curved his lips. The woman remained as cold and stony as a statue.

"Has she been here the entire time?" Her voice came out harsher than she intended, but she didn't have time to feel remorse. She only jerked her head to the side for an indication to the girl she was referring to. The man stared up dumbly, blinking rapidly before glancing behind his shoulder. His face broke out in a grin.

"Yeah. The girl never left. Been here all day, she has." The man nodded, sending a soft smile in the sleeping girl's direction. Bella rolled her eyes_. Touching_. The girl must have struck up a friendship with the bus driver. How sweet. Her lip curled in distaste. But she swallowed her biting retort and turned away.

With a ghost of a hand, she grasped the metal railing, slowly leading her past several empty rows. The one advantage of leaving work so late is that no one is usually stuck in the bus so late. It appears her luck has worn out.

It was eerie. The bus jostled, shifting and grumbling as it peeled from the curb. But that wasn't what made Isabella shrink inside herself, her skin rising to form trembling, weak goose bumps. It was the darkness. She never really felt comfortable with it. But every night, she was okay because she knew she was alone. She was safe, because it was only her.

But now, it's dark. Dark, but she was no longer alone. Proven so with the soft sounds of Alice's breathing from the very end of the bus. And that very fact prompted a nervous, uncomfortable chill to coat her skin and prickle across her tender bones.

Her suspicion hummed like a swarm of bees, crawling over themselves as their loud hum swelled into a crescendo, filling every crevice and fold of Bella's mind. Her legs started to move, her muscles clenching in discomfort as the soft taps of her heels connected to the floor. Her fingertips ghosted past each metal bar of another row, moving through every empty seat.

Despite her growing fear, she finds herself at the base of Alice's row, watching as the bundle of darkness shifted again. The only light came from the faint flicker of the streetlights outside, streaming in through the windowpane in a hazy glow. The soft light seemed to reflect off Alice's skin, illuminating her soft features and dancing off the long curve of dark lashes on her fluttering eyelids.

However, when Isabella turned around, her body leaning forward to try to find her way back to the front, the bus jerked swiftly to the side, crashing Bella into a seat. The row _parallel_from Alice. Bella cursed, her heart pounding loudly in her chest as a pulse started to beat on the brain.

While Isabella collapsed against a seat, the jerking bus crashed Alice's forehead against the windowpane.

"_Ow_." Alice whimpered, tenderly kneading her fingers against her temple. "Well _now _I'm up." The girl sighed softly, shifting in her seat to stretch all the kinks. She slumped back into her seat with a long, drawn out sigh.

Bella froze, her blood running cold. Her muscles twisted and squirmed underneath her skin as she pressed her back against the cold metal of her seat, pulling herself from Alice and into the blank darkness around her. She wanted to duck down and never be found again. Or at least, not in the darkness.

But she was found anyway.

Alice's eyes flickered around the room, lingering a little on the driver before tracing the drawn out form of a darker shade in the night. Alice cocked her head to the side, rubbing her eyes as if to swipe the previous imperfect sight from her vision.

However, in perfect sequence - like a scene from a movie - the bus passed a glowing street light and almost spontaneously, Isabella's face was illuminated in the dark. The flat blackness of Bella's eyes warmed into a shade of molten chocolate from the low glow of the street light.

"It's you." Alice breathed out. She was still almost invisible in the darkness, but her expression was almost too clear to distinguish in the blackness. Her lips parted, breathing out soft expiring breaths as her dark eyes struggled to meet Isabella's.

The bus was dark, even the slow glimmer of the lights outside couldn't provide enough light to enforce good sight. And yet, Bella could feel the dark, cool eyes marking on her. She could feel the connection as they instantly clicked together, invisible but somehow unbreakable. And in the darkness, while she sat completely blinded, her separate senses started to attune to the night, slowly adjusting.

Her ears perked up, picking out the swift movements inside. The soft casual clear of the bus driver's throat, the movements of the tires. And the slow separation of Alice's lips, spreading over her teeth in a slick, moist sound. It sent Isabella's skin to prickle again, releasing a cool shaft of air to embrace her in the tenderness of the night.

"I had hoped you would come." She also picked up the soft, breathy whisper Alice released. Whether Isabella was supposed to hear it or not. She was counting on the not by the way Alice's breath broke by the end of her sentence, as if the usage of those few, quite words had been an exertion beyond comparison.

But what was she supposed to say to that? She didn't have a clue. And neither did Alice apparently, because both girls remained submerged in silence, allowing the air between them to thicken, solidifying into a solid, crushing force.

And for Isabella's suspicions to get the better of her.

"Are you following me?" This unfortunately did nothing to lessen the already tense atmosphere. And it caused Isabella's skin to break out in a cold sweat. Her ears perked up at once, catching the small inclination of her own voice, picking out the wavering tone of her uncertainty and obvious vulnerability.

She just sounded so _small. _

Alice appeared to lean back, the sound of a breath hitching broke through the silent darkness. "Following you? Bella...I've been here all day. How could I have been following you?" Her voice lowered, sounding almost hurt.

However...

It also sounded fake.

Isabella opened her mouth, preparing to whip a retort back. But when no words made an appearance in her head, she huffed, and clamped her mouth shut. Okay, so she wasn't_ following_ her. That's not even what she meant. But she _was_ here in the morning, and now she was here at night and all the time inbetween. Apparently _hoping _she would come. Which implied the fact that she had been _waiting _for Bella?

So maybe she wasn't _following _her. But this sure wasn't any better.

Isabella sighed. Her back twitched as the cold metal touched her skin. She hadn't even realized she had leaned forward. Toward Alice. Bella pursed her lips as her stomach flipped uncomfortably in her lower abdomen. She now shifted to the edge of her seat, farther away from the bundled up darkness across from her.

But she still felt Alice's dark eyes locked on hers. She might as well just be sitting right next to her.

"How was work?" Bella frowned, fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat as her stomach flipped again. Suspicion swarmed.

"How did you know I was at work?" Isabella snapped quietly in her seat. She flinched silently as her ears picked up the sound of her voice. She sounded more stubborn than anything, like a petulant child who was told she was wrong.

Alice sighed softly. It sounded light, but expelled a heavier exasperation from the depths of her lungs and outward. "You were walking to a bus at 6:30 and left at the same place at 9:45. That's a fifteen hour day. I should hope no other place would keep you for so long, especially if it required a suitcase and business attire."

Isabella sat quietly for a few seconds, mulling over Alice's words in silence. The unnoticed bus driver flickered his eyes to his review mirror, watching curiously for Bella's reaction. Alice fell back into her seat, her dark eyes flickering anxiously over Bella's expression for any evident offense.

Finally, there was a soft expel of breath. "It was fine..." Bella whispered softly. For once, she was glad to have the darkness around her; she wasn't quite ready to have more than one person seeing her blushing cheeks. When Alice opened her mouth to softly prod for a more extensive answer, Bella cut in for more development. "I was promoted."

Alice gasped, jumping from her seat and clapping giddily. "Oh how wonderful! Congratulations Bella!" Isabella blushed a darker red, struggling to keep her lips from forming anything but a straight line. She was surprised to hear such beaming happiness from a complete stranger. The way her voice caressed her name, it was as if it was a lover's congratulations rather than a stranger's.

Isabella cleared her throat tightly, dismissing the sudden flutter of her heart. "Yes...well...thank you." Bella smiled softly, her ears perking at the sound of the slick, silky movements of Alice's lips. It sounded moist, like when you pop your lips together after rubbing a fresh coat of sweet, sticky lip-gloss.

"So what does this mean for you!" Alice almost nearly popped right back up in her enthusiasm. "Oh, oh! Do you get an office? No, wait! Do you get those cards with your name on it! _Oh wait!_Do you get to boss people around?" Alice clapped happily with her excitement, hopping ecstatically in her seat.

Bella stifled the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. The darkness helped hide the very tips of her lips quirking upward, but it proved useless block out the surging warmth in her chest. "No. Well kind of. I already have all of those things since I am a manager. But my promotion enables me to move and run a branch of an already existing corporation."

Alice stilled all of her previous movements. The short pixie woman slowly slumped into her seat, her wide eyes locked onto Bella's shadowed face. The light only illuminated the hollows of her cheeks and chin, leaving a dark, frightening mask in the middle. It left Alice to her imagination to create Bella's expression. In her expectant imagination, Bella could not be more reluctant. But…by the sound of her voice, she seemed rather eager.

Her heart sunk. Did Bella not feel the need, the _desperation_to be near Alice, as she felt towards her? She could not be the only one feeling this connection. The universe couldn't have pushed Isabella into her life to only rip her out later.

"Oh..." Alice breathed out, her chest deflating in a single expelling breath. Her smile struggled to remain. The corners strained and tightened, but remained plastered on. "So moving, huh? That's exciting..." It didn't sound exciting to Alice. It sounded heartbreaking.

Alice pursed her lips, her fingers thrumming against the skin above her crushing, desperate heart. God, what was the phrase her father used to say again and gain? Something about a red string. The string that may tangle or stretch, but will never, ever break. Or something like that. Whenever she was crestfallen or disappointed, her father would pop in with that one-sentence pick-me up. And each time it worked. Because when two people are entangled in that red string they were meant to meet.

That red string must be entangled between them, invisible to the naked eye, but threaded nonetheless. It must be. How else would she feel this way. Like little lights are flickering alive inside of her, making her warm in so many areas at once. They create a trail of electric zaps through the air and collide with Bella.

She slowly lifted her eyes to Bella, slowly adjusting to the dark. But apparently Bella can't feel it. She can't feel the feeling of serenity and blissful warmth enter her body in just a fleeting glance of the girl. Alice gritted down the twists and turns her stomach felt the need to express at that moment.

That's okay. It's okay if she can't feel it yet. She will, eventually. Alice will make sure of it.

A feeling of panic rang red, blaring alarms throughout Alice's body as the bus lurched to a sudden stop. The bus made a final grunt as it settled down for good, the sound of mechanic doors swinging open only brought the hair along Alice's neck to stand to attention.

She bit down on her lip, fighting down the sudden urgency and frantic desperation as Isabella shifted in her seat. She watched in silence as Isabella reached down, grasped her suitcase and stood upright. Words and tangled sentences whirled in Alice's mouth, bouncing on her tongue in urgency, but never reached past her lips. Isabella was already leaving; the soft clicks of her heels pronouncing her departure. She reached the bus driver without a single glance back.

"Wait..." Alice's voice trailed from her seat, the darkness swallowing her up completely. Isabella very nearly vanished from sight, but just before her heels stepped off the final step, Bella poked her head back up from beneath the metal railing.

Well. At least she turned back. Alice froze, her mouth parting for words to pour out. But nothing came, and Isabella just narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular. Now what? She could come by tomorrow and hope that Isabella has work again, but what if today was just by chance? She can only tug on her invisible red string, and hope their paths meet again.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Bella." Alice smiled weakly. Isabella halted, her head half turned to move on, torn between turning away, or returning the gesture. With one last pull, the tug of war was won.

"You too." It was curt, and even considerably cold, but to Alice, it meant everything. Isabella didn't see her, but she had waved happily through the window until Bella was completely out of site.

* * *

><p>Isabella sighed as a short, clipped bell rang. It pounded inside her head, reverberating through each bone and muscle inside of her. It had been a long day. The joy of her promotion was just a single flickering candle light in the dark, blackening storm. This was supposed to be her lifter, her way out. But why does she still feel at a loss? Like she's on the edge of a cliff, looking down, with no harness or rope to hang onto. She feels as if a single misstep will send her veering off the edge, and she will loose everything.<p>

The elevator doors pulled back, and with the sudden extraction of walls, wiped her mind clear of thought. She sighed softly, her heels clicking against the glossy floor tiles. They glimmer and gleam, but no one notices them until they are coated with dust and dirt.

They also creak. Rather loudly too. It's how Edward often knows when Bella comes home, because whenever she walks across the long stretch toward her apartment, the floorboards creak with a loud, indignant cry. It's the down side of living in the poorer side of Seattle, but at least it allows her the quite isolation from the rest of the city.

Reaching her door, she fumbled with her key, clicking the small metal to the right and unlocking the door. She really hopes Edward already made dinner. She may just have to ravage the entire refrigerator if he didn't. Her stomach isn't quite as polite now that all of today's distractions are all filed away.

Opening the door, she slowly slipped in, plopping her keys onto the nearby counter. Her heels are instantly kicked off, and the feel of soft cotton carpet greets the bruised and aching skin of her tortured feet. She sighs pleasantly, a small smile curling over her lips.

"Edward!" Bella called, making a half-decent check around with her eyes as she slowly tiptoed to the kitchen. Her stomach growled impatiently. She hummed happily, her fingers making contact with the cool handle of the refrigerator.

"Bells, you're home!" Edward called out happily, padding over to her like an energetic puppy. Bella forced a smile, but kept her eyes on the blank, white fridge. Could she make a distraction for food? Possibly.

Too late. Edward's burly, warm arms are already wrapped around her waist, pushing her into him. Bella crinkled her nose, feeling the top of her head bump against his chin. The muscles around her flexed, moving her closer to his warm, moving chest. The faint smell of _Old Spice _seeps off his warm skin and is breathed in by every soft inhale.

She feels squished inside his arms. Her lower back muscles squirm underneath his heavy palms, squeezing her waist, running up her back and holding her against him by her shoulders. His cologne burns her nose, turning from sweet cinnamon to a burning gasoline inside each shallow breath.

She wants him to let go, but she can feel his beaming smile from simply resting her ear against his chest. So she waits, sighing softly. Rough, round stubble grazes against her cheek as he nuzzles lovingly against her neck. His lips brush against her sweet, salty skin, pressing a faint, loving kiss against her collarbone. It makes the faintest of blushes flush in the pale, soft skin of Isabella's cheeks.

Tender, firm hands squeeze her shoulders as he gently pulls her from his warm body. His lips quirk into one of those adoring, crooked grins. The ones that make her heart flutter and her skin feel a little warmer.

"How was your day darling?" His soft voice sends a soothing calmness to settle in her lower abdomen, calming the uncomfortable squirms and clenches that usually reside in her stomach for most of her days. She finds herself smiling up at him, something she very rarely does anymore, and it makes Edward all the more affectionate.

His smooth, warm palm gently cups her cheek as the soft pad of his thumb slowly strokes the hollowness underneath her cheekbone. Bella sighs, her eyes fluttering closed in the sudden warmth swarming her heart.

She doesn't know what is making her so unusually affectionate. Perhaps it's because Edward usually isn't even half this gentle. He means to be, but his palms usually just feel rough or scaly against her skin. She doesn't know what has made the difference, but it's definitely a game changer in her opinion.

If only other parts of him was this soft. His chest feels a lot like stone against hers, and with every breath, it pushes firmly against hers. If only it was a little softer, she could jus- "Bells?"

"Hmm?" Bella lifts her head, blinking slowly at Edward, who only seems too grinned larger.

"How was your day babe?" It was less a question and more of a statement for amusement. He chuckled softly, patting her lower back with the heel of his palm, scratching her skin softly with his fingernails. Which didn't feel quite as affectionate as Edward might have thought it would be; which apparently was lost on him, since he simply continued it.

"Uh...great I guess..." Isabella frowned, placing her cheek against Edward's hard, breathing chest. _Old Spice_burned her senses. God, something happened today didn't it? "Well, I met this really odd girl in the bus today. I mean, she was kind of...cute, I suppose, in a weird way."

"No Bells," Edward shook his head, chuckling softly. "I meant how work was, you know, the thing you have been so frantically worried 'bout for the last few weeks?" It's actually been months, but thank you Edward.

Isabella pursed her lips, crinkling her nose in thought. Well, she cannot quite recall what happened. There was the girl in the bus, and then Emily Daren and then - _Oh holy fuck she forgot her promotion_.

Slamming her palms down against Edward's chest, Bella snapped upright, a look of pure shock flashing across her face. "Oh my god." Edward grasped her elbows tightly; as if afraid, she would rocket backwards and shoot across the room.

"What babe?" Isabella stared up at him with wide, startled, chocolate eyes glinting in the dim light.

"I was promoted today." Edward's brow crinkled. She looks like she was just delivered this information from some telepathic message. Her wide chocolate eyes shimmer brightly, her soft pink lips curving into an incredible smile. As if she just cannot fathom this happening.

"You were promoted?" Bella nodded numbly. "And you just remembered?" Another numb nod. "How you feeling about that babe?" Bella just nodded. Edward chuckled, tenderly leaning over and kissing the soft skin of her fiancé's cheek. "Well congrats Bells, all that hard work finally paid off."

In the labyrinth of Bella's dazed mind, a part of her looked on in incredibility as she took note of Edward's reaction and the bouncing, bubbling joy that was Alice's.

The petulant side of her huffed, and crossed her arms. But a more mature part of her answered with words. "You don't seem very surprised." It came out more accusing than it had previously meant to be, but Bella took it all in stride, lifting a questioning eyebrow.

Edward just chuckled, worming his large, warm arms around her. "That's 'cause I'm not." He hastily jumped to his explanation by the look of his fiancé's glare. "Bells, after all the hard work you put in? It was bound to happen some time. And didn't I say it would get better?" Edward smirked. "See, I knew all along."

Isabella rolled her eyes, pushing Edward away tenderly. A flush of heat crept across her skin; radiating from deep within her beating heart and pushing out through the entire expanse of her skin. It pulsed through the bundle of veins all tangled close and trickled across her tender bones.

Edward's gentle hands slowly crept down the arch of her back, resting lightly against her rump. Tenderly, he pushed Bella up against him, feeling the flush of her skin against his. His heart started to pick up it's pace. God, when was the last time he had her? _All _of her. In the way he wanted her. It has been too long to count apparently.

Gingerly, he cleared his throat. He knew how quickly his fiancé could snap, and how fast that made her quickly unavailable. But she seemed oddly affectionate today. Which is something he will use to his advantage.

"So baby?" He leaned in to whisper huskily into her ear, just the way he knew she liked it. Edward tried to stifle a smile when it sent a small shiver down his beautiful fiancé's spine. Gently, he rubbed her shoulders, kneading her skin with his large, thick fingers. "You want to celebrate?"

His voice dropped softly, grading down into the rough octaves of a dangerous suggestion. It could go either way, Bella could smile and push into him, or it could go horribly wrong and end with the degrading position of sleeping on the couch.

Edward caught his breath as he waited on tenterhooks. His pulse was thundering, his fingertips twitching nervously on the pronounced bones of his fiancé's hips. The skin instantly tightened, her muscles seemingly catching on to his hinting tone faster than Bella; for her eyes were still in their glazed wonderment as before.

However, slowly, Isabella seemed to notice her fiancé. And when she did, she felt the slow suggestive movements of his hands, rolling them slowly over her hip bones, slowly pulling her closer. Isabella raised a pronounced eyebrow, the corners of her lips quirking into a small, almost imperceptible smirk. Her dark eyes smoldered.

In a slow, seductive movement, her hand slowly raised. With the heel of her palm, she pushed Edward's chest to an unknown direction. Her smirk grew. Dark eyes glinted, and with just the softest, most promising graze of her hips against his, Edward walked backwards blindly, following wherever his fiancé wanted him next.

* * *

><p>Bella lies quietly against Edward's hard, breathing body. White, pearly sheets lay strewn across their bodies, entangled with their bare legs and tickling against their skin. Edward has fallen fast asleep, the quite muffling of his snores reverberate through the pillow pressed against his lips. Bella may have put it there to get some peace and quiet.<p>

She sighs, flicking her hair behind her shoulder and readjusting herself to lie vertically against their bedspread. Silence follows in through the lapse of Edward's snoring. Her sheets are cool and comforting against her. And yet, sleep never comes. Her eyelids weigh heavily, and blink with a tired exasperated repetition. But never close for long. It's as if they are waiting for something. Waiting for what, Bella doesn't know.

But then the very quietest of sounds makes its way through the darkness. It sets Bella on edge, sending a rough prickling sensation down her back and rippling across her skin. Creasing her brow, Bella cocked her head, listening more intently to the quite creaking outside. It was obvious that someone was just walking across the hallway. Soon to open their own door to their own apartment and the sound will stop. Simple. Easy. No need to panic over that.

But it was the sound of the creaking that made Bella so nervous. It wasn't the determined tap of someone's shoes against the floor, of someone who knew exactly where they were going. They were just…wondering. As if a complete stranger to this new level of the compartments.

Bella's heart picked up it's pace, thrumming quickly in her ear. What if it was a robber? Did she lock her door? Oh god, she forgot to lock her door, didn't she? She was just so tired and she just wanted some food. How could she forget to lock her_ fucking _door! Don't panic, this may be just some relative looking for the correct apartment. At one-o-clock in the morning.

Isabella swallowed gently as the creaking and quite footsteps came to a halt. Stopping right at her door. What should she do? She wouldn't be able to fight the person if they were armed. Especially since she's naked in her bed. She doesn't want to think of the other possibilities.

Apparently she had entirely forgotten the fully capable, burley man beside her. Who would jump in front of a bullet for her, or at least knock the guy out. But she didn't even spare a glance at him, her eyes fastened at the opening of her front door.

The door creaked open slowly, and Bella's heart became a mess. It thumped and quivered in its bone cage. She was so concentrated on what to do, that she ended up doing nothing. Just staring with wide, anxious eyes.

A dark figure slipped in through the door, the head appearing oddly small for a burley, strong man. In fact, the whole figure seemed slimly structured, as if a small child had wondered in. Bella's eyebrows creased, her body involuntarily leaning forward to catch a better glimpse.

The small, child-like intruder seemed almost embarrassed to be there. Their steps where tentative and shy, creeping through the house as they peeked at the small photos hanging on the wall. Slowly, Bella's heart started to calm. She almost felt like quickly slipping her robe on and escorting this shy intruder out herself. But the intruder looked almost skittish, careful to quickly move about the house in a quiet, respective manner as though to not disturb the residences.

Then very suddenly, the intruder's eyes caught sight of her. Bella's blood ran cold. The slim, dark figure froze, a perfect imitation of Bella's posture, and nearly bolted for the door. The door gently slammed closed as the quick pitter-patter of feet scampered across the hall. Leaving Bella with an expression of complete shock.

She didn't know whether to feel irritated that someone had broke in and entered, or to feel pity for the embarrassing display of a robber she has ever seen.

**End of Prologe 2. I was going to just make this a really really large post and have Prologe 2 and 3 put together but I just wanted to get this out. I have half of Prologe 3 done. If not more. **

**You may think with this chapter that I'm just kind of fiddling around and not getting too much of the plot. Well, that's because I am. In fact, you won't even know the plot intill the very end of Prologe 3. **

**Yay! Hopefully it will be a twist. A twist I am telling you before hand apparantly. Hi. **

**Again. REVIEWS ARE HAPPINESS. It's like crack to all authors. :/ **

**Don't be above the influence here people, give me my addiction. Lol. **


	3. Prologue 3

**First thing: I apologize for such a long wait! Unfortunately, I cannot see another chapter close in sight. I'm sorry, school, homework, and life have all gotten in the way.**

**Also, sorry for such a long chapter. Half of this wasn't even supposed to happen, but I just kind of ran with it. I hope that you will all stay interested for at least the end of the chapter.**

**While you are reading this I want you to keep in mind this definition:**

**_Neurosis_- _a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts or compulsive acts dominate the personality._**

***cough* hint *cough***

**Inspired by Poison and Wine by the Civil Wars (it's a song?)**

"Edward!" Isabella called bitterly, huffing after her excited fiancé as he strode down the rainy, cold street. The pavement shimmered with a slick coat of rain, illusioned into a river of inky black. "Where are you going!'

"I told you, it's a secret!" With a careless call from over his shoulder, Edward turned another corner. Bella practically seethed, grinding her teeth together as her heels clipped shortly across the street. If there was anything worse than being stuck out in the night, with rain drizzling down her; it was surprises. Bella huffed, glaring at the top of Edward's copper stranded head through the crowds of people - bobbing up and down like a buoy lost at sea.

Streetlights glow brightly above every other street, eating away the slowly growing darkness. The casted lights create small flickering shadows that play along the sidewalk. They dance over the numerous passing feet, ghosting over their limber bodies as people pass through their somber light.

"You know, Edward, I have to leave in an _hour_. To New York, remember? An hour." Bella called out stubbornly. "I really don't have time to jump into some small adventure with you." And suddenly, the dark looming figure of her fiancé was right beside her.

Warm arms wrap around her waist, pulling her tightly to his chest. His heart thundered loudly against her ear as her head thumped against his chest. Bella crinkled her nose. Ew…_Old Spice_. "But babe, you deserve _every_adventure. This one included." Ugh, if he kept saying cheesy things like that, she may have to throw her engagement ring at him. He chuckled softly. "And anyway, this place is really neat. I just know you will love it."

Bella sighed. "_Fine_. But I_ really_should be packing. I mean, I don't even know how long I will be gone." Edward only chuckled, slinging a heavy arm around her shoulder as he pulled her into the restaurant that seemingly materialized from thin air.

The smell of food instantly flushed against Isabella's senses. Her stomach growled happily in her lower abdomen. Dear god, she was hungry. Releasing a soft expel of breath, Isabella's eyes fluttered close, taking in the deliciousness that swarmed around her.

The restaurant was...quaint. Almost cute. It was decorated in such an old fashion; it was like opening a door to the past. The present fell away, dimming down to just the faint glow of streetlights from outside. Every detail, from the ceiling to the floor was constructed to appear from the early 80's. Curtains, each the color of maroon, were fashioned over the low awning windows, the candlelight's simmering down to a soft romantic glow. Each table was clothed with a quaint white cloth, adjoined with burning white candles and acquainted purple flowers.

The soft sound of a piano drifted through the air; swiftly roping Isabella's attention to the far corner. Her eyes dragged to the small stage in the far corner, where a soft, diminutive voice tinkled in the air. A plump man plucked delicately away at the piano keys, shadowing the soft voice that threaded inbetween the notes.

_If I didn't care, more than words can say. _

_If I didn't care, would I feel this way? _

_If this isn't love, then why do I thrill? _

Like a magnet, Isabella felt herself slowly drifting away, walking quietly to the base of the stage. The voice continued to pull delicately at her heartstrings, tugging her closer and closer.

_And what makes my head go round and round..._

Isabella gasped softly, her eyes widening as they locked onto the small figure behind the microphone. The woman with the soft, alluring voice. Her hair was styled delicately atop her head, forming silvery black spikes that loosely curled around the snug, blue headband. A small white flower dazzled the eye behind the small curve of her ear. Soft, hazel eyes burned with a deep, caring passion.

_While my heart stands still. _

Bella simply couldn't fathom it. There stood Alice. Not even a foot away from her. Her skin seemed to reflect the dim, burning light of the flickering candles. The soft, pale skin illuminated into a fiery, lively flush; filling the hollows of her cheeks with a bright, rosy blush. Gentle hands cup the microphone as if it were a delicate rose, its beauty astounding even her as her fingers carefully curl around it.

_If I didn't care, would it be the same? _

_Would my every prayer begin and end with just your name? _

Isabella's chest crushed with the sound of the tinkling, soft voice. It seemed to fill with such passion, as if she believed every uttered word that fell past her lips.

_And would I be sure, that this is love beyond compare?_

_If I didn't care for you, _

Bella released a soft breath. And as if that small, soft expel of breath was a scream, it snapped Alice's eyes open; her eyes instantly flickered to Bella's. Deep hazel eyes widened, becoming so large they seemed to glimmer with their own sheen of light as they locked intently on Bella. The microphone picked up Alice's sharp intake of breath, hitching her voice into temporary silence.

The plump man on the piano drawled out a few lines, filling the silence with his lower, raspy voice as he eyed her curiously. Steady hands plucked away uncertainly over each piano key as the man waited patiently for Alice to mix in again.

There was a soft lull as the piano man cleared his throat, repeating the measure. Alice blinked, shaking her head slowly as if coming out of a daze. Clearing her throat, Alice smiled softly, nodding at the piano man as she stepped closer to the microphone. Her eyes remained locked intensely on Isabella, however, keen with keeping her in sight even when her lips grazed the speakers for the intro of her song.

_And would I be sure if this was love beyond compare_

Her voice hitched, chopping her last word with a broken sort of passion. Her eyes seemed to suddenly glisten with such pain and longing that it swarmed Isabella's head with a whirling intensity.

_Would all this be true? _

Alice's eyes remained locked on Bella, but her small diminutive form seemed to wilt, her breath becoming a low rasp as her voice swelled in the last stanza.

_If I didn't care for you…_

The piano softly drifted off, rendering the restaurant in complete silence in the short, fleeting seconds that Alice stared at Bella. It was a moment of seemingly perfect tranquility, the wonder of both Alice's voice and the soft tinkling piano knocking away Bella's natural, snarling defenses. It left her vulnerable, open and available to anything that sat around lurking, waiting to pounce.

Alice's hand dropped, her smile growing around the corners of her lips as her body turned swiftly toward Bella. She took a tentative step forward.

But as time often does, it continued to tick, swiftly cutting off Alice's intentions like a severing knife; ripping the two connected woman into two entirely different worlds.

"Babe? We already have a reservation, we don't have to wait." Edward wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling the stranded girl against his body. Alice's eyes seemed to instantly follow the steel cords of muscle all the way up to his arm socket, narrowing darkly as it gathered in mass and bulk, forming the unlikely figure of Edward Mason. Someone entirely unknown to Alice, but already deeming a bad name.

Her lip curled. The soft, hazel eyes hardened, narrowing into dark, angry slits. But before Alice could rip the arm slung around _her _Bella off, a loud voice suddenly called for her attention. "Hey! Alice, get 'er blades on and start servin'!"

Alice instantly huffed, hopping gracefully down the stage and veering out of Isabella's sight. Apparently, to get what must have been her roller blades. Because _apparently_people still serve in roller blades. Classy. Bella shrugs and follows the strong tug of Edward's arm that directed her to a table.

Like a gentleman, Edward pulls a chair out for her, watching carefully as she sat down. He seemed oblivious to his fiancé's distracted state, plopping down in his own seat as Bella looked around again.

"Isn't this cool?" Bella's eyes flickered across the small restaurant, gliding swiftly over the uniformed men and woman that rolled around serving people. Her eyes sought after someone else. Someone significantly shorter. "I just stumbled across this place by accident. But I like it, don't you?"

Bella inclined in her seat, lifting to glance subtly around the small, clustered restaurant for Alice. Seriously, what are the chances that she would run into her three times in two days? The world isn't _that_small.

"Bella?" The voice rings loudly in Bella's mind. "Bella?" Another loud ring. "Bella!" It's like the irate bang of a constant drum, beating and clanging against the sides of her head. It pulls her dark, searching eyes from the room to snap back at Edward.

His face instantly brightens at his fiancé's attention; oblivious to the impending death she has sentenced him within her head. "Well, don't you like it?" Bella wanted to make a rude remark, perhaps roll her eyes, _anything_that would make that beaming, happy smile drop from his face. But instead, she merely nods and turns away, too distracted to mangle Edward's good mood.

Edward appears placated, blind to the flickering suspicion that swarms in his fiancé's eyes. He leans back against the wooden chair, admiring his fiancé's appearance. The woman rests stiff and taught like an arrow, her jaw clenched and eyes narrowed. She looks through the small corners of her eyes, inspecting and marking anything that passing by.

She's a mystery. She always has been. It's what attracted Edward the moment he saw her, and what makes him hang off her every word today. Her every motion, every movement is a question, the very epitome of the unknown. It's exciting. Everything she does is a rubrics cube of alternating reason. She lives a life of constant complications to fumble and work through, a walking never-ending puzzle.

Bella_ hates_ being at the disadvantage, and this unwillingness allows so many others to be left in the dust. She makes decisions without telling him - like this very situation in fact - often because it would only contrast with their two very different scripts of what their future will look like. Edward only has Bella written on his, he only wonders what she has written. But he doesn't mind. Not really. It's exciting. Like every corner he will round has another surprise waiting for him. And anyway, he already got her to agree to marry him, that's the hardest part isn't it? But once the ring is on, it's a ferry cruise to marriage hood.

Edward smiles happily, dragging his eyes down his fiancé again. Bella's dark brown eyes coast across the restaurant again, her lips tightening around the corners into a tight line. The man sighs softly. The only thing he does struggle with, however, is when he gets lost. A single look could be deciphered a hundred different ways, and when he doesn't catch on, it only brings bad things to cross his near future.

Edward regards his fiancé quietly, taking Bella's preoccupation as an advantage to admire. Bella's tight, narrowed eyes flicker around again, spinning with merciless persecution. They seem to always hold that. Accusation. Hard and sharp, they could tear any man down with seconds to spare. They flicker around again, her eyes narrowing in a hasty, angered search. A chill prickles across his spine. It's times like these, however, that he finds himself lucky to be out of sight. Because her anger, when not found an object to latch itself onto, tends to find its favorite set back. Edward.

They whirl around like a Ferris wheel, but as quick as a dart, they hit their target.

A soft intake of breathe is taken, and Edward's attention is enraptured again. Bella's eyes fasten tightly on a moving figure. They trail behind them like a tail, flickering from every agitated movement. Edward doesn't bother to look at the incoming stranger, too focused on the hard, narrowed eyes that swiftly come to an abrupt stop beside him.

"Hi there! My name is Alice and I will be your server for tonight!" A soprano voice pulls Edward from his inspection, following the sound of tinkling chimes to a small, pixie woman. The woman smiles brightly, tucking a strand of neatly styled hair behind a curve of an ear. Her teeth glint miraculously in the dim, romantic glow as her eyes remain trained professionally on Bella.

Bella glares. Edward smiles. "Good evening, Alice." His smooth voice calls from the side. And is it possible that he is even here? Did he die the moment he stepped in and become translucent? Because the waitress doesn't appear to have even heard him.

She is staring with wide, attentive eyes at Bella, her lips quirking into a soft, happy smile. Edward sighs. Well, he may not be in the musical production of Chicago, or have any previous desire to sing, but a part of him feels like he should stand up and perform _Mr. Cellophane._

"What can I do for you this evening?" Alice answers softly. Now, Edward has never _once_ studied the pitch, tone, or inflections of a voice…but his ears would have to be _damaged_ as shit if he missed the double meaning in the woman's soft voice. It wasn't suggestive or anything, no, Edward would have laughed if it were. It was just _different._ It was hard to describe. It was like…it was as if the waitresses every word was coated and caked with something akin to intimacy. It wasn't a _stranger's_voice, that much was for sure. The sugary, syrup flow of words seemed to flood his stomach, baking into a hard rock in his gut.

He was never really the jealous type, but there was something about this girl. Something that made him uneasy. However, if Isabella noticed any of this, she made no visible sign of it. She just plainly answered, "Just two glasses of water."

It's no _real_ surprise. As perceptive as Isabella is, it took three whole years of constant, _blatant_flirting for Bella to realize he was interested. Or maybe she knew all along, and it took three long years of constant convincing for one date. Edward preferred the former.

"Is that all?" Alice's soft voice came from a haze in Edward's mind, reluctantly pulling him into the present. And to their order apparently. Which was water. Edward crinkled his nose.

"No it isn't. I'm going to change our order to two glasses of Chardonnay?" Bella pursed her lips, her dark, narrowed eyes flickering to him instead. Her lips twitched in clear agitation. Edward was forcibly oblivious. "I think _Yellow Tail_is still my favorite, it has such a fantastic, buttery taste to it, don't you think?"

The question apparently was deemed rhetorical, despite his clear inclination for an answer. But Edward just shrugs, smiling up at the waitress, who kept her eyes lingering upon Bella.

"Edward, in case you have forgotten, I do have somewhere to be in the morning. I'd rather keep it to water." Said the girl who drinks a shot of Jack Daniels ever morning. Edward smiled innocently, but held his hand firmly aside for the waitress to stand by their table.

"Isabella." Edward said her full name, a playful smile curling around his lips. Bella sighed impatiently. She was really starting to regret ever taking a step inside this restaurant. "Don't you want to celebrate? Tonight is your last stay here, loosen up a little bit!" Edward smirked, leaning back against his seat. His hands tightened around the junctures of the table as Bella just stared level-eyed at him, as if staring at him would make his words suddenly crawl back into his lips and seal his mouth shut. Edward's smile grew.

Suddenly, he jerked his head to the side, yanking the waitress into their silent quarrel. "What do you think? It's her last night here; don't you think it should be a night worth remembering?" Edward grinned happily, seemingly oblivious to his fiancé low, embarrassed groan. A pale hand arose to cover her forehead as her cheeks flushed brightly.

"Edward" Bella groaned in exasperation. "Don't bother the waitress." Edward merely shrugged, keeping his eyes trained on the small woman beside him. She didn't _appear_ uncomfortable. Her eyes only flickered towards Edward as a shy smile curled the plumpness of her cheeks. But her eyes deceived her. Resentment and something akin to _hatred _clouded her large, glassy eyes. They glowered down on Edward with a piercing, hate-full glare while her smile remained ever so sweetly plastered on.

"Go for it." Alice's voice tinkled. "The _Yellow Tails_ is one of our better selections; however, if you wish to make an _impression_ upon tonight, I suggest you go with my personal favorite: _Syrah_?" Alice shrugged. "It's red wine, so it may not be the _sweet and bubbly_taste you are looking for, but…"Alice drifted off, her eyes dragging down to Bella and locked dead on with her usual rapt attention. "I can promise you it's not something quite as forgettable."

Edward came up short, his eyes narrowing in silent confusion. As easily forgettable? Was she suggesting his selection of wine was forgettable? And that hers was not? His eyes connected with Alice's, watching the dark, gleaming orbs shimmer in the dim light. Something told him it wasn't just the taste of fruity alcohol she was referring to. Edward pursed her lips.

"Great, we'll go with that." Bella's smile was tight and pinched, her eyes flickering from the waitress before sticking Edward with a hard glare. Edward's frown deepened, but said nothing. If there was perhaps _one thing_he wish he could change about his fiancé was that for once, she could simply agree with him.

"Excellent." The waitress smiled brightly. Brightly, and so dangerously smug. However, she cannot hold fast to that smug smile, because as soon as their orders are scribbled in her pad, she returns to being just waitresses. She stifled a grimace as she slowly placed the necessities upon their table. Menus, napkins, silverware are poised on either side of the table, and with a sense of finality, Alice fished out a match and struck it against the table. The low flickering match glowed brightly, curling in the air as Alice dipped down and lit the two candles arranged in the middle.

The candles' uncoiled, black nub released an incense of vanilla. The flames simmered down to a soft, romantic glow as the candlelight flickered; its dim glow harvested an almost hypnotic appearance. The room seemed to darken as the golden halo around the candle brightened. And in a trance, Edward moved his hand to encompass Bella's. His engagement ring glinted.

Alice's lip curled. Her eyes seemed to glint dangerously as they leveled with the golden ring wrapped around Edward's finger, covering the diamond on Bella's.

"I'll be back with your orders." The once tinkling voice had taken a dramatic downward spiral, leveling into a dark, bleary indifference. Sounding almost numb. There was a soft expel of breath before the wheels upon her roller blades clicked, rolling her from the table and gliding her swiftly away.

Silence soon followed. Bella slowly removed her hand, returning it to her lap as she absentmindedly played with a loose strand of her hair. Edward momentarily admired the messy bun in which his fiancé had spun it into. He never noticed how soft it looked before, like molten, milky chocolate. She _really_ was beautiful; which is something he tends to sometimes forget. But in moments like these, they come at him with the full power of a whip. It lashed him across the chest. _Beautiful. _

With a soft, crooked smile, Edward leans forward, propelled by his inner musings and grasped Bella's cheek. And right before his lips crashed against his fiancé's unsuspecting lips, the light momentarily flickered, darkening Bella's eyes into hard, dark orbs.

Bella's eyebrows creased, wrinkling her smooth forehead into a dogged expression of displeasure. She was never such a fan of affection, and even less so when expressed in public. In the corner of her mind, she always wondered if people where looking at them, the once strangers suddenly turning into a very attentive audience. But she complied nonetheless, melting a little into Edward's hard mouth.

The sensation was immediate for Edward. The taste of green apples flushed across his lips as he moved his against hers. The soft pads of his fingertips dug greedily into the soft, pale skin of her neck, wanting more of the enthralling taste of her lips against his.

Bella's sensation was a little bit different. The burning scent of _Old Spice _swarmed through her nose, watering her eyes from the prickling smell as his lips smashed down against hers. A warm tongue lazily rolled across her lower lip, and it was just enough to make her want to pull away. Before she could even start planning her escape, however, a sound clashed against her mind's right eye.

Bella's head suddenly whipped away, breaking the kiss suddenly as her eyes snapped to where the sound had transpired. There, in the center of the restaurant, stood Alice, her burning hazel eyes locked intensely on them. The woman looked positively _insane_. Her eyes seemed aflame with fire, burning with intensity unknown to man. Alice's chest rose and fell dramatically as the blood seemed to simultaneously drain and flush into and out of Alice's features. Instantly Bella and Edward separated, drifting to their respective sides as they watched the small waitress slowly bend down, picking up the broken scattered pieces of plates and silverware.

Alice's fingers quickly snatched at each fragment of glass and dish with hurried, angry movements, all the while her lips moved furiously in a stampede of angry spoken thoughts. And on the stage, a quite, distant sound of _I've Got You Underneath My Skin _by some imitator of Frank Sinatra droned away.

As Alice snapped up, her arms full of glass and dishes, her eyes seemed to pierce through the crowded room and hit Edward with a devil's intent. Her eyes glint with a darkening promise, her lips snarling back as if in a reassurance to fulfill. Edward swallowed softly, ripping his gaze away. Bella watched cautiously as Alice spun around and rolled away. Edward slowly shifted in his seat, his heart thundering in his ears. _Well, that was…weird._

His muscles ached softly, stretching underneath his skin as he leveled his gaze to Bella; who seemed rather tense. But even that wasn't a fair description. She was stiff, but there was softness in her posture – whether forced or not – she appeared almost calm. Tense but calm, and always buzzing with energy. _Tense but calm._ Maybe she_ had_noticed all of the small double meanings of the server's voice after all. Bella cleared her throat uncomfortably, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers again.

Her dull, manicured fingernails thrummed absently upon the tablecloth. Again: tense, but calm. Edward, unable to take the silence any further, released a strained, tight chuckle. Bella only cast him a questioning side-glance before dispersing again. "So that waitress, huh?" Suddenly, dark burning eyes snapped to his.

Edward swallowed gently, unsure whether or not that was the correct thing to say. Sometimes, even eggshells appeared as strong as steel when concerned with Isabella Swan.

"What about her." Her voice sounded edgy and tight, cutting like the sharp blade of a knife. Edward's brow creased, wondering why she sounded so defensive. It wasn't as if he had nicked or picked at Bella or anything. Just some strange freak.

"She was just weird." Edward shrugged dispassionately, his pale, pink lips quirking into an unhinged, crooked smile. Bella's only lips tightened, forming a thin line as her dark eyes flickered away. "Does she know you or something?"

Bella sighed, needling her fingers through her tousled, bundled hair. Her bun became even messier. "Of course not." She snapped, looking away again.

Edward shrugged, not looking too far into it. What was unbidden to him, however, was that the situation that he had unknowingly fallen into, was _far _more complicated than a simple answer could perceive. It was twisted into a complicated labyrinth that not even Bella nor could Alice understand. It threads inbetween them and entangles anyone else ignorant enough to get involved. One has simply accepted it. Bella on the other hand, fights it with every being of her.

Bella quietly sighs, leaning back into her chair. She almost wishes Edward could just read her mind and understand how uncomfortable she is. God forbid she actually say it _aloud_. But he seemed distracted by staring at the lobster that the neighboring customer had ordered. Bella only rolled her eyes, because _of course_he is. When an argument holds absolutely no consequence, Edward is as stubborn as a bull. But when she actually wants him to fight, to stand up for himself and take a hold of the situation, he takes a seat.

"Here you are." The soft, tinkling voice returned. The sound of glass clinked against each other welcomed Bella as each wine glass was placed at opposite junctures of the table. There was a flicker of hesitation. The small flame that danced in the mouth of the candle seemed to diminish, darkening the edges of Bella's vision.

Edward seemingly blended in to his surroundings like a chameleon, becoming a silent bystander of a scene that was slowly cutting him out. Bella lifted her head and connected with Alice's eyes. The waitress _barely_stifled her smile, wanting to simply beam from the sudden attention. Bella pursed her lips, her eyes roving over the waitress skeptically.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Alice drawled softly, her lips curling into a shy, abashed smile. Bella's eyebrow rose in question as Alice seemed to inch closer, her eyes narrowing upon the space between them. For such a soft, tinkling voice, one would have thought it had grown scales and slithered like a snake for the justice of such a reaction.

Despite the question obviously being directed to Bella – Edward seemingly having been forgotten – he was the only one to answer. "No, thank you." His voice had grown considerably harder, thrusting his presence inbetween the two girls. Alice snapped her head to the side, very narrowly avoiding creating a scene and glaring at him or interrupting. But with a strained, pinched smile, she nodded, and rolled away.

Edward huffed. "Maybe your right. We should probably cut this short." His dark eyes followed the servers' departing figure. They hardened, glowering like heated coals from a burning stove. "The service here is appalling."

Bella could hardly hear him. It was as if his voice was behind a thick, brick wall, the sound barely carrying over the thick, cemented barrier. Bella remained stiff and unmoving. Her eyes also remained locked on the departing figure of one Mary Alice Cullen, unseeing to Edward, as he was unseeing to her.

What was happening to her? What was making her act this way? On the surface, the answer was easy. But the reasons behind it was twisted and varied, creating a confusing labyrinth to fight through. Is it even worth it? She's leaving in less than twenty-four hours. Would that be the end of this confusing tirade, or would it carry through, latched onto her like some kind of blood-sucking leech.

Bella sighed haughtily. Her eyes remained attached to Alice, following her as she swiftly dipped down to retrieve dishes, smiling and talking to the rest of the customers. Did others get that same tight feeling in their stomachs? Like worms were wiggling inside her intestines and chewing at the lining? It does not appear so. In fact, they look quite enamored with her.

Bella's jaw clenched. It could not just be her. There must be something that Alice is playing at. Something she wants. Alice laughed again, tipping her head up as her lips curled back, releasing a bright, colorful laugh. And for a moment, a split increment of a second, Bella swore she saw Alice flicker her eyes to her. And smile.

For some reason, that small movement: the turn of her head and the connection of their eyes yanked her away and into the hazy, botched memory of last night. In the daze of the night – hot skin pressed against hers – someone had crept into their apartment. But instead of stealing anything, they simply looked around, as if peering into the strange habitat of an exhibit at the zoo.

With every blink, Bella's trace of the dark figure seemed to flicker over Alice's existing form. Her heart slowly started to pick up its pace. Every curve, every bend and shape seemed to fit, clicking together with impeccable accuracy. It was as if someone had cut Alice from a sheet of paper, leaving two imprints of herself. The paper, and the gaping hole.

But when slapped together, they fit like two missing puzzle pieces.

Is it possible? Could it have been Alice? This strange girl she has hardly knows?

No, it was just her imagination. Or at least a cruel play of it. But this strange new revelation had no kinder parallel to turn to. There was no easier option. Suspicion hummed in her mind, hissing like a swarm of wasps. Her temples throbbed as the swarming hum grew to a gradual crescendo, blocking any sense of reason.

Alice playfully swatted a customer's shoulder as she slowly collected each plate. The dishes stacked along her arms as she balanced effortlessly. Even in roller blades, she remained as steady and straight as a needle. There was a booming laugh from the customer and a playful wink from the waitress before she peeled away from the table.

Alice's eyes didn't even flicker towards Bella's. They remained steadily focused on the kitchen. But Bella still saw Alice's eyes on hers, probing and poking her mind like a hot rod. It's like watching a movie with split screens. One plays the character's perspective while the other plays reality. The problem is, Bella doesn't know which one is which anymore.

And before she could account for what she was doing, she was walking. Edward's confused calls fell upon deaf ears as her heels clicked against the tiled floor. It couldn't be just her. Alice must be playing at something. She must want something. It can't be just her. _It can't. _

The words pulsed through her veins and pounded against her head, making her blind to just about anything else. With her sight darkening at the edges, it left a bleary tunnel vision to follow Alice's trail. She rounded another corner and caught the unsuspecting sight of Alice Cullen. The woman cocked her head to the side as a soft, shy smile curved the plumpness of her cheeks.

Bella could only hear the clicks of her heels. The clashes of dishes and the sound of hundreds of moving mouths instantly hushed, sealing them into a soundproof bubble. Bella curled her lip, her eyes locked on Alice.

Before sense could fog her judgment, she had seized the woman's arm and started dragging - rolling - her away. There was a surprised yelp as the roller blades clicked against the floor, rolling her backwards. The elapse of Alice's surprised voice was the only protest to be heard, allowing herself to be dragged away without a flicker of resistance.

Before Alice could even blink, a door had swung open and swiftly swallowed them whole.

And effectively locked them into a cold, storage room. Not exactly the ideal place for an interrogation, but it was going to have to do. Bella swiftly turned on her heel, her arms coiling like livid snakes around her body as she hissed like one. Alice's smile dropped.

"What the _hell _do you think your doing?" Bella snarled. Her dark, narrowed eyes scrutinized the waitress, leveling her with a thick and heavy glare. Alice swallowed softly, and almost with a child-like curiosity, looked around herself questionably.

"Me?" Alice pointed to herself, an innocent smile wavering on her lips. Bella curled her lip. Alice's innocence was nearly as transparent as a window; furtively hiding the unconcealed nervous energy manifesting inside. Bella's patience - or at least lack of one - waned. Alice's innocent smile never wavered, but her eyes flickered, moving from every corner in the room before leveling back to Bella. "I'm not doing anything. You're the one that dragged us into a storage closet."

Bella bristled. Her lip curled from the pestering response. Usually, when confronted, one often trips up and spills their story. It's not exactly an obscurity. A simple fleeting glance with Isabella can cause mild heart failure, if not boiling over into a hyperactive alert sense of anxiety. If her stiff, menacing posture didn't daunt your approach, the hissing repartee that would follow would.

"Look I _personally_ don't care. I don't care what your reasons are, or if you even have them, I just want it to stop. Stop bumping into me, stop_ staring_at me, stop waiting for me at the bus-" Bella's lip curled, her stiff arms tightening around her body from the mere mentioning of their previous interactions. With last night fresh in her mind, every spoken word that has passed between them is just another milestone to topple over.

"I wasn't waiting." Alice whispered quietly.

"I don't care." Bella cried in exasperation, running her fingers through the wild tendrils of her hair. Her bun has nearly fallen out. "I really, _really _don't. I just don't want to see you again. At all." Inwardly, Bella frowned, finding the lack of zeal in her insults almost concerning. Either way, Bella expected Alice to wince, for her spine to bend like every other spineless person she's argued with. Including Edward.

But nothing seems to go as expected with Alice.

A flare of life sparked in Alice's eyes, flushing her hollow cheeks with a lively red. Her spine stiffened as her eyes reflected her inner chagrin. With someone so small, it's startling to see such a magnitude of animosity bubbling in them. It only encourages Bella; pushing her to step closer, now hovering over the smaller woman.

Alice fastened her arms at her hips as she scowled softly, her lips – although pursed – not quite creating the look ferocity she was going for. Bella, however, came up short, finding the posture oddly familiar. She didn't know, it was just, odd. Something about her expression reminded her of a young stubborn child. It made her slightly uncomfortable, her suddenly being the only present adult in the room. With a flick of the woman's head, the dark halo of hair glinted in the shallow stream of light, momentarily grasping Bella's distant attention.

But it was snapped right back by the sound of the woman's soft sigh, quickly followed by a voice. "That's not fair!" Alice whimpers, her voice wavering with emotion before steeling in the last syllable. "I haven't done anything wrong; you're just so _stubborn. _You are so set on disliking me that you refuse to give me even a chance!"

She sounded so _childish_, her voice swindled with the petulance of a five year old. And maybe she hadn't given Alice enough credit, because this was completely ingenious. Alice's eyes widened, influencing her already small appearance to look even smaller in comparison, her rosy pink cheeks turning Alice from an animated person into a decorated, painted doll; her sad, wide eyes watched ever so intently as Bella gazed back blankly.

And somewhere utterly unknown to Bella, a maternal cry of indignation was heard. Whether it was from trickery or honesty, Alice had thrown out a line like a fisher and swiftly hooked through Bella's defense and simply tore it down. Who knew playing the card of a helpless child was enough to discard Bella's aggression. Bella sure didn't. With a crippling cramping sensation in her lower gut, Bella felt herself back up, her tight, stiff arms constricting around her chest for an entirely different reason.

And just like the flip of a coin, the roles have been reversed. Alice, somehow, through the trickery of her honesty, found herself the upper hand. Alice was now pulling at the streams of her argument, thrusting them like pointed darts into Bella's.

"Did you even _consider_ that maybe we met purely from coincidence?" Alice huffed, crossing her arms indignantly. "Despite whatever conclusion you have summarized in your head, I'm not a witch, God, or have ever been processed by sorcery, and thus, cannot create accidents purely for entertainment."

Bella frowned, her lips snarling downward. Child like or not, she was not going to be mocked. "Okay, so beside fate's correlation of our…_coincidences" _Bella snarled at the world, as if it tasted particularly ugly on her tongue. "Do you think that we always just_ happen_ to end up in these tense, uncomfortable conversations?" Alice balked, her eyes widening incredulously.

"And who initiates that Bella?" Her voice lifts in a shrill sound of outrage. "I have been nothing but kind to you, but each time I initiate friendly-"

"Friendly?" Bella interjects harshly, hissing like a caged beast. "So I suppose breaking into my apartment last night was for the off chance of catching me by surprise to – _what? – _extend_ friendly_conversation?" Alice slowly grew pale as her body stood as rigid as steel. Her eyes widened into the size of large tennis balls, her tightly set jaw loosened, hanging into a slack form of an 'O'.

"I…no, that…it wasn't…" At a loss of words, Alice just shook her head fiercely, as if the action could undermine the fierce accusation that had steeled in Bella's eyes. Her eyes suddenly swelled, her voice chocking as she tried to swallow down her thick and heavy panic.

Bella's heart suddenly flipped, her head hammering with the sudden confirmation of Alice's unspoken admission. Her blood ran cold, as a sick, metal taste seemed to fill her mouth. However, in the very far corner of Bella's mind, she allowed herself some small reliance of relief. It _wasn't_just her imagination.

But the relief was short lived, ending it in a pit of fire that was her anger – a flicker compared to the inferno that was her fear. "Oh. My. _God._ That _was_ you! Oh my fuck, you _freak!_ What the _fuck _were you doing in my apartment?" Bella screeched, her words coming out in sharp, jagged inflections that hurt Alice's inner ears.

"No! I-It isn't that bad! I was just worried about you! When you boarded off the bus, and disappeared, I freaked out! It was pitch-black out there and I didn't know how long, or safe the walk back to your apartment was. Bad things happen at night Bella! I just wanted to make sure you got home safely!" Alice slowly drifted closer, her frantic, wide eyes locking on Bella as she desperately tried to convey her sincerity. Bella took a small step back, her heart thundering in her chest as her stomach curdled, aching and twisting inside her body.

It was no longer suspicion that swarmed her mind, it was _fear_. The angry hum of wasps doubled, growing and extending into a larger mass; it drowned all reason and sanity, submerging her into a full sense of paranoia.

"And so you thought you would step inside my apartment?" Bella's voice wasn't quite as controlled as she had hoped, but her mind was at ends with herself. And no amount of strengthening could keep the waning fear from trembling in her voice. "Why would you do that? What do you _want_?"

Alice took a bated breath, her wide eyes glistening with sheen of unshed tears. "What do I want?" Alice drew a breath as if the question was absurd in itself. Her eyes seemed to try to convey her every feeling, but when that even failed, she rolled forward. The wheels of her roller blades clicked as it pronounced the space between them slowly closing. Bella stepped backward again, but was only horrified to find that the sturdy plaster of wall stood behind her.

Her heart dropped, her closely held emotions cut free and now ran wildly through the recess of her mind. Her muscles were aching for use, wishing for nothing more than to dash out of their locked cage. But luck was not on her side today, her attention cracking back to Alice as dainty fingers grasped the folds of her jacket.

With a tug of the fabric, Bella's eyes now snapped to attention. A shy smile curved the plumpness of Alice's cheeks, her eyes smoldered into Bella's with a cryptic, dark longing. "What do I want? I thought _that _much was obvious." Alice's lips curved into a slow, sad smile. "I want you, Bella."

There was a sullen beat of silence as Bella tried her best to absorb the meaning of her words. To no avail.

"What?" Bella asked weakly, her knees now wobbling from disuse. Alice's arms wound around Bella's waist, holding her delicately like a precious doll that harbored Alice's ever-mounting affection. She should have left things alone. She should have just left with Edward. She should have never entered through those restaurant doors.

"I don't mean to frighten you," Alice sighed, tenderly biting her lip. "I know you are…_engaged_." Alice's nose crinkled at the sound of it, her cheek brushing against Bella's again. "But when that is set straight, we can be together like we are meant to be!"

Bella's fingers touched the edge of her clad pocket, wiggling into the jean fabric beside her hip. Her fingers sought after the smooth, thin metal of her phone, flinching when the edges of her pocket were found and explored. Nothing but velvety textile. Bella nearly whimpered in desperation. She didn't want to stay here with her, not with this psycho in here with her. Her heart thundered loudly in her chest. However, the chances of simply disappearing seem little to none.

Her ears perked as Alice's tentative, flowing words picked up again. "I mean, think of how happy I could make you, Bella. I don't mind moving wherever your job permits you, as long as I get to be close to you! I could find some kind of job in New York and support you, with whatever you need! I would be your biggest fan, and I would always take care of you!" Alice's voice was shaking softly, her cheek brushing against Bella's again almost to reassure her of her affections. It was reinsured, but _far_ from reassuring.

Bella's eyes grew wider as Alice's list continued, watching as the woman wormed herself closer, her head now resting against Bella's shoulder as a constant stream of words flowed from her lips. "I could be so much better than Edward; I would watch over you and take care of you. And, and you would never have to feel lonely or sad ever again!" Bella's heart flipped, her muscles clenching and flexing underneath her skin. This was getting out of hand, and Bella hardly knew how to gain control again.

"Stop. Get_ off_ me." Bella growled, her fingers digging into Alice's midsection. She didn't listen. She couldn't, she needed Bella to understand. She needed Bella to be with her. There was no other option, she couldn't leave it here. Alice whimpered softly, throwing her arms around Bella's neck and held her there desperately.

"Wait! Please, if you just gave me a chance!" Alice whimpered, bringing herself closer to Bella's warm and hostile body. "I would be so good to you!" Alice blubbered uselessly. Even in the desperate coil of her mind, she knew Bella would never be convinced. But that hardly stopped her from trying.

Alice's head tucked into Bella's neck, her lips expelling warm breaths across her skin; she softly mouthed a constant stream of promises against the shell of Bella's ear. Every word was soft, every sound was a promise as each movement was influential damage. Bella's skin felt too hot, her cheeks flushed with uncomfortable heat as the body pressed against her worms closer. She needs Alice off her. _Now._

"You need to stay away from me." Her voice trembled. She winced, her body thumping against the wall as she wiggled in Alice's grip. Bella's hands seize Alice's thin shoulders in hopes to pull her lithe body from hers. And succeeded.

Her success pulled a soft gasp from her; Alice is so _light._ Her bones felt delicate and hollow beneath the skin. It was as if her skeleton was made of Styrofoam. If Bella pressed too hard, she might snap Alice in half, simply bending her in two. Bella mulled it over as her fingers dug deeper into the skin making white and red blotches against Alice's delicate skin. But as Bella raised her gaze to meet Alice's, the fire of her anger died out like a flickering candle.

She just looked _so sad_. It made Bella's stomach clench uncomfortably. She didn't want to make Alice _cry _exactly. Well, she kind of did. But not in _front _of her; it made her feel awkward. She didn't need to see Alice sniffling or looking up at her with those large, sad eyes of hers. Or see Alice's puppy dog look, her eyes begging for some kind of chance. It was unpleasant. Unfortunately, the door is locked and so any chance of escape seems little to none.

Alice took in a soft breath, sniffing quietly as a tentative hand rolled across her mussed, messy hair. Her eyes lifted again, meeting Bella's wearily. It made Bella uneasy, her expression hardening as Alice took in a steadying breath, apparently ready to try to make her point clear. As if she hadn't moments earlier. "I love you Bella, and I would do anything to make you happy. I could be the best person in your life and make you feel loved every day! And, and-"

"_What? _No, no no." Bella shook her head frantically. Oh god this has gotten out of hand. Alice's wide eyes shimmered with tears again, frantic and pleading. Her lips trembled, and Bella stiffened in horror as _more _words fell from her lips, getting caught in the constriction of her throat.

"And, and I could be so much better than Edward. I would do anything for you, if you only gave me a chance!" Alice whimpered, taking a shaky breath and sadly, continued. "I could be your everything."

Bella shook her head, staring with disbelief at the slowly breaking girl in her arms. "You must be joking. This _cannot _be happening." It was more to herself than anything, but Alice – stifling a small sob – shook her head bleakly, a broken smile stretching on her lips. A thin, choked breath expelled from Alice's lips and seemingly crushed her from the inside out, her chest heaving dramatically as if that really was the case.

Bella's jaw clenched tight, her stomach squirming uncomfortably. How was she supposed to handle this? Bella growled lowly, firmly tightening her hold of Alice's delicate shoulders. Alice looked up, blindly wiping away the tears streaking down her cheeks with the sleeve of her arm.

Isabella curled her lip. "You need to get a hold of yourself, alright? Because I'm not dealing with this nonsense. I am engaged to Edward, the man that I _love_, and you need to respect that." Alice whimpered brokenly, ducking her head as an anguished sob broke past her lips. Bella groaned. "Okay, stop that alright? Just-mngh!"

She stood suspended in time, her brain frazzled from the sudden contact of Alice's lips on hers. A small hum of electricity zapped and shocked her skin, and without any knowledge of it, her eyes fluttered closed. She couldn't breath, her thoughts were cut off midsentence; drifting off in the haze of her bewilderment.

She couldn't think anymore. Every jagged concern that had poked and prodded her mind suddenly smoothed out into an even plane. The only awareness that rose slightly above her calm, smoothed consciousness was the taste of vanilla and…raspberry? Whatever it was, it electrified her senses and enveloped her entirely, flowing smoothly across silky taste buds and fanning across her sensitive lips.

She couldn't recognize movements anymore. She felt herself leaning forward, but could hardly grasp the reason why or even towards _what_. It simply held the motive: to get more. And that's all her head could center around. More.

And more she got. With the lightest pressure, and a curious, inquiring taste, Bella had captured Alice's lips once more. The lips were soft and silky, releasing delicious breaths of cool, luscious berry. It was maddening. With the lightest touch of her tongue, she grazed the soft, delicious taste, demanding for entrance.

The warm, moist lips complied eagerly. Alice's teeth slid across Bella's lower lip, pulling it away briefly before lightly sucking on the delectable skin. Her fingers grasped the loose bun coiled upon Bella's head, playing with each soft, silky strand and digging for more. A low moan pushed from Bella's lips and brushed against Alice's feverant lips. However, with this admission, a hot spoken voice whisked against Bella's lips.

"_Bella."_

And suddenly, Bella's flat palms made contact with Alice's tiny, diminutive body. The waitresses body absorbed the impact, her spine bending backwards as the roller blades wheeled in any general direction. There was a loud wrecking sound as Alice hit the other side of the room, her body thumping against cupboards and packages. A clutter of objects fell to the floor, rolling off Alice's shoulder and bouncing off her head.

Alice hardly noticed. Her wide, dazed eyes had locked wildly onto Bella's.

She looked _insane._ Her eyes had darkened to an empty blackness, blank and pitiless like ones of a shark. Bella's chest rose and fell dramatically as a light blush flushed her cheeks. As if in a daze, Bella's fingertips gingerly raised and touched her sensitive, bruised lips. This impulse hardly quelled the spastic sparks and zaps that still nipped playfully at her skin. _God,_ everything was throbbing. Her heart, chest, pulse, lips all thrummed with a rapid rhythm while everything else seemed to fall apart. Her entire skin seemed to shiver in movement, wanting nothing more than to crawl up from the tender attachment of bone and muscle and move away.

_She cheated_. On Edward. Her _fiancé._Not only that, but with a waitress with stalking tendencies. Bella was in one piece, but she couldn't have felt more torn apart. Her sweet, adoring fiancé is waiting patiently for her return; while she kissed the freak that stalked her home. Repulsion couldn't describe what she felt. It wasn't nearly strong enough.

"Bella." Alice whispered cautionly from her corner, her fingertips also trailing her swollen, bruised lips. She looked torn as well. Her eyes screamed hope, but her expression was ruled into one of guilt and sympathy, however false it may be. Bella could only shake her head, her fingers still pressed against her lips, as if that could repress the tingling and heaving revulsion racking through her.

Alice fumbled for balance, rising from her knees to stand. Tentatively, the woman crept forward. "Bella…" Bella's hand clenched tightly, forming a fist at her side; but otherwise, said nothing. Alice sighed. "Bella, I'm sorry. I…" Alice trailed off as Bella strode toward the door.

_Click, click, click-cli-cli-cl-click_

Bella growled lowly, jingling the locked door again. The metal handle held no promise of ever opening again, unless of course, someone happened to need rolled up napkins, towels or rolled up bits of string. Why anyone would feel the need to store _bits of string_inside a restaurant is just another question in itself.

With a thick, settling resignation, Bella slumped against the locked door. Her eyes gradually lowered from the ceiling and found comfort in glaring sharp daggers at Alice. Alice on the other hand, despite the heat of her animosity, took this as safe grounds to move closer.

Still in her ridiculous roller blades, Alice slowly rolled forward. "Bella, I think it would be impetrative if I explained myself."

"No need." Bella's hard voice cracked like a whip, slashing through the thick, tense energy. The air seemed to thicken, becoming a stifling, toxic gas. Every inhale felt like breathing in smoke, infiltrating their lungs with thick, heavy fumes.

Alice huffed, locking her hands on her hips. "Well tough, you're going to hear it anyway." Bella curled her lip in distaste. Her eyes leveled to Alice's with hardly hidden resentment. The waitress pulled at her strengths, willing for her nerves to still. "Again, I must apologize for my previous actions. That wasn't what I wanted at all."

Bella flexed her jaw, but said nothing. She had never been a violent person; it was always her words that drove her to win an argument. But right now, she had never wanted to hit a woman so badly in her life before. Her mind flashed with the sound of stinging flesh as her hand slapped across a pale, soft cheek. Again and again the sounds and slaps repeated, crafting a mantra of different sensations. She was not a fighter and she was most definitely not a cheater, but Alice seemed to lure an entirely different person from inside.

God did she wish for the door to just _open_. Or for the floor to crack open and swallow her whole. Even if it's hell the ground destined her for, she's sure it would be better than here. Her stomach muscles are squirming uncomfortably, gnarling themselves into a constant, tight, knot.

Alice watched carefully for any reaction within Bella's cold, hard features. "Please understand that I was desperate." Alice cringed at the sound of her own voice. "I_ know_ it doesn't justify my actions, but…" Alice struggled, her hands lifting - now suspended in air as she fought for the right, safe words to say. "I just felt hopeless, and in my despair, thought that if you felt what _I _felt, you could possibly…" Alice sighed, the rest of her words coming out flat. "Give me a chance."

Bella flexed her jaw; her hard eyes flickered towards Alice. But if Alice was looking for any indication for a resolution, she was sadly mistaken. Her dark, flat eyes remained as understanding as a rock. And Alice felt herself deflate.

The waitress's stomach squirmed, wishing for the door to open and spare her from more impending heartbreak. But life doesn't work like that does it? Because she is the villain in Bella's story. The one that tries to steal or keep the two _good _forces apart for purely selfish reasons. There is a knight in shining armor waiting just beyond that door; Alice is just the wicked witch that tries to convince the maiden to take a sip of her poisoned wine.

Bella's eyes never softened. "I don't know what is more pathetic." Bella hissed, her eyes narrowing into dark, dangerous slits. They were dark and pitiless, reflecting what must be the very figment of her soul Angry and piercing, she was like a snake constricting around its prey. "That you thought I would even _consider_ such utter insanity, or that you are actually looking for _pity_ in me." Bella's words whipped like an arrow and made its target. Right through the heart. Alice grew still, the poison pulsing loudly through her veins by the very snake she had fallen so recklessly for. And more recklessly, Bella continued. "I am _engaged-"_

"Yes, to Edward. I believe you have mentioned that before." Alice said sardonically. "But for your fiancé's sake, it's probably best not to mention that you kissed me back." Alice hissed, spitting the words out as it left an acidic taste on her tongue. Her heart quivered and whispered softly to take it back, but her resolve only steeled.

Bella balked, and for a moment, she looked stunned. Her eyes shimmer with a flicker of life, reviving her from the cold, calculated eyes of a snake. Her malicious, mechanic expression faltered. And for a moment, if only for one, she looked vulnerable. _Afraid._ But this new existence had a short life span, because a moment later, it died. Bella's lips curled back to bare her glimmering, white teeth.

"I _did not _kiss you back." Bella hissed lowly, her voice breaking down into a hushed whisper as if in fear of someone outside these doors could hear her.

Alice knows she's playing recklessly on the double yellow line of a highway, but she feels the need to continue. "That's not what I recall." Alice says almost in a singsong.

"Well you're _fucking_ delusional." Bella snapped, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Her jaw tightened, flexing her muscles into twitching disarray. "I have _no_ feelings for you other than growing resentment. You mean nothing to me. I am in love with Edward, _and I did not kiss you back!" _Bella practically screeched the end, her cheeks flushing into a flaming red.

Alice draws a sharp breath, cocking the gun to her venomous words. Her ammunition, however hollow, was ready to tear through skin and bone. The short hair on the back of her neck stood alert, rising as if electricity sparked between the two of them. And although she was coiled and ready to pounce, her heart faltered again. It wallowed in the growing pit of darkness in her chest, beating hollowly. There is no room for two winners in their little game, so obviously, one must loose. And whether she speaks or not, she will be on the loosing team. But she can't stop. The hurt, pain, desperation, it's all still there, and it's making to be a horrible influence on her.

However, Alice's response is broken off by a soft, tentative knock. Bella blinks, her head whirling towards the door. "Um…is anyone in there?" A shy, male's voice drifts past the muffled solid of the door.

Bella gasped in relief, striding towards the door, "Yes. We're locked in here!" Alice bit the insides of her cheeks, catching herself from telling the young server to go away. This is not a lover's quarrel, and thus, leaves her without any right to keep their argument fueling. And anyway, any more time spent cooped up in here and she might as well be prosecuted for kidnapping.

Alice bit her lip as the door swung open, watching as Bella shot out. It was as if the cage door to a tormented lion was lifted, sending the cat prowling with a whipping, angry tail and bared, sharp teeth. The man who released her cocked his head in question, but returned his eyes to Alice, a confused smile flickering across his face.

Alice forced a smile, shrugging her shoulders half-heartedly; which appeared to placate the man as she slowly rolled away. Her smile slowly fell when she turned her back on him. Dishes and glasses stack upon tables, push into the kitchen sinks, waiters move around, and settle them against counters. And as Alice watched Bella stalk out the door, hand in hand with her fiancé, she felt her heart _could_manage another break. Numerous in fact.

The servers continued to pass her, unseeing to her broken state, unloading their plates and menus. And as the doors swung shut, seemingly erasing Bella from her sight and future, the soft clinking of glass mimicked the breaking of Alice's fragile heart.

All she can do now is tug on her red string, and hope the end is still entwined with Bella.

~X~

"Are you going to talk about it?" Edward's soft, velvety voice is nothing but an irritation as Bella paces across her floor, grasping coats, jackets, shirts, pants and anything else remotely important. She passes Edward without even a glance.

The large suitcase is settled against her bed, dipping down the soft mattress with its overpowering weight. Things she never considered to take are suddenly fluttering through her head like a frantic heartbeat, memories and connections fearing to be left behind and forgotten. Books, filmy photographs, papers. _So _much paper. Stacks of old college essays – things she never figured she would be digging up again – old worn novels, small notebooks filled with lazy scrawled notes remain in a hideaway pocket as if she plans on revisiting them everyday in her time away.

As Bella crosses across the floor again, Edward's impatience finally falters. His hand reaches out and grasps her wrist, encompassing it easily with two fingers. The pale blue veins pulsate under his touch as he tightens his hold, lightly tugging Bella closer. Catching her by surprise had granted him a few inches, however, now that realization has settled, resistance snaps back at him like an angry dog.

"_What."_Her voice is tight and stiff, hissing like a livid, coiled snake. However, it's not the anger in her voice or how her fingernails dig into the palm of his hand that catches him off guard. It's her eyes. They say the eyes are the most expressive feature on a face, a window to the soul so to speak. But with just a flicker of connection, Bella's eyes seem to purge all previous human emotions, becoming as empty and pitiless as a shark's. It's enough to make him drop her hand, his fingers slowly sliding down her skin as she retracts it quickly.

Edward sighs, his hands loosely grasping the junctures of his knees as he is seemingly put back on the shelf, completely forgotten. Edward eyes the scattered papers in Bella's bag dryly. Figures. She would probably only ask him to come if he was made of paper and ink.

With a brisk sigh, Edward continues. "I just don't know why you won't _talk_ about it. I mean you disappear with some weird waitress for some odd amount of minutes and turn up all pissy." Edward grunts, racking a large hand through his copper hair. Seemingly blind to Bella's stiff, immovable form. "I mean, something _had _to have happened."

"No, nothing did." Bella answered back dryly, her eyes flickering away as she absently folded a shirt for the second time. "Now can you stop talking about it? It's getting on my nerves." Her voice is back to the bristling, hackle-rising hiss her voice usually forms. Her lips curled back as if to bare sharp canines. But if Edward was mistaken, he could have sworn he heard her voice waver. Just a little bit, a glimmer of vulnerability. And it's enough to drive him mad.

Edward groans, his head lulling back as if he were a wolf howling to the moon. His throat throbs as his tone dips down into actual irritation, becoming almost harsh with skeptic sounds that billow from his mouth. With a deep grunt, Edward resigns himself to lie defeated against the bed, his arms bending and stretching across the mattress as he tilts his chin to stare blankly at the wooden frame. But his lips press firmly together, keeping his questioning words inside his mouth.

It's probably for the best; an irritated Bella is a one-way ticket to lying on the couch for the rest of the night; and a serious restriction of the chances of sexy times. And in all honesty, does he really even _want_to know? Because, if something was wrong, and he didn't know how to fix it, what would happen? Now – it's almost as if the problem doesn't exist, and thus, doesn't need to be reminded and reprimanded. This is not the case if they are sealed away. Safe and out of sight.

Edward sighed softly, scratching his tummy. His eyes slowly drift close, the frantic motions of his fiancé drifting away and the pleasant darkness encompassing him entirely. Underneath his eyelids, sunshine awaits him, burning brightly with flares of white-hot colors. Flickers of molten chocolate hair tickle his skin, soft music lulling in the corner of his mind. It's times like these that he allows his mind the freedom it needs, his imagination merging everything once collected into a small live feature, an action packed movie that plays forever in his mind. Moments in time that could never truly be relived, but forever written in the productions of his own homemade creation.

With a pleasant sigh, he almost allows himself to drift entirely away. He has no responsibilities right now, not in his head, and Bella can wake him up when she wants to…well, do whatever she wants to do. His imagination is rolling again, playing like a flickering old movie.

And he almost drifts away.

If not for the slightest, repetitive creaking steps that sound from down the hall.

It would have been completely unnoticeable, just some random stranger roaming down the hall. _It would have been. _If his fiancé hadn't frozen erratically, knocking the corner of her hip harshly into the post, sending a shivering affect through both of their bodies. Edward lazily lifted his head, wondering how his fiancé was going to react. It _sounded_painful. But not another sound is made. Not from Bella at least, her lips are pressed tightly together as if they were quiet literally zipped up, trapping any sound inside, bouncing off the roof of her mouth.

Edward groaned, lifting a tired, heavy eyelid. His blurry vision lazily started to clear, removing the pleasant thoughts that had started to form in his head and now brought him into the full front of Bella's whirling, hissing paranoia. It's like a fucking _hurricane._And Bella is in the very center. Edward sighs, grunting softly as he slowly propped himself up by his elbows, his eyes slowly following the frozen, tight movements of his fiancé.

"Bella," Edward groans, rubbing his tired eyes. "What are you _doing_?" Bella only holds up a hand, her pointed finger indicating for him to shut up. Immediately. Edward smiles softly and plops back onto the bed with a lazy thump. He's okay with that.

Bella on the other hand, slowly prowled towards the front door, her eyes locked on the door handle. A stranger would walk right by, but if it was her suspicion, well, she's just glad she remembered to lock it. Her heart fluttered quickly in her chest, thrumming rapidly in her ears. Suspicion swarmed, the hissing whispers humming into one loud overwhelming sound.

The slow creaking sounds crept forward. They were in no hurry to come any closer, lingering at each door as if they were counting every individual tile. Then slowly, they came up to the mouth of her apartment, a closed door sealing them safely outside. Isabella's heart jumped, now pounding like a heavy, clumsy elephant. Nothing is delicate now, her swarming suspicion has hummed into a crescendo as every thought and pound of her heart prods with an almost sharpened tip, pricking like thousands of needles.

_Click, click. _

Bella sucks in a breath; her hands clenching at her sides as the person outside the door jingles the door handle again. Her heart jumps, a breath is drawn, and Bella's eyes are locked on the door handle. It's locked. She's almost positive. Yet, every single sense in her body is screaming for her to see something; a missing element that couldn't be more elusive in her eyes. But something must be wrong. Something.

And then she hears it. Just the slightest of sounds, a light ticking. It was as if the clock on her wall had suddenly boomed in sound, now becoming nearly distinguishable in the loud silence around them.

Or like metal pressing into a key hole, sliding around and clinking against each metal tooth. Bella almost laughs. _Almost_. She finds herself too startled to rouse the courage to. But as her mind reeled, a sharp reflex acted, reacting purely on the thin pulse of strength that thrummed inside her beating heart, lurching Bella forward and firmly grasping the door handle. The metal knob jerked counterclockwise, hitting resistance and with a relish of satisfaction, an object tinkles against flat floor tiles.

Bella's lip curls. Her fingers flex against metal, her teeth bared and ravenous. Her blood pulses wildly in her veins, as anger seems to do the same; it encourages a starving, ambitious beast to erupt from inside of her. She never had much control of her anger. It often snaps out too quickly, but when she tries to reel it back in, it's too heavy.

But as her fingers flicker across the lock, they still. She cannot find the will to unlock the door and go out there. The taste of raspberry and vanilla filters through her system, and suddenly, she feels as small and helpless as a child does.

Bella's eyes flicker down, catching the flickering movements of the shadow beneath the door as the person behind it drops down, delicately picking up the dropped object. A soft sigh sounds from behind the door.

"I suppose it was silly to expect that to work." Alice chirps quietly, and with a soft laugh, she continues. "What does one even _use_ to pick a lock? A needle doesn't appear sufficient enough." Bella is frozen, unwilling to act on the reality of her situation. To leave or open the door. It is simple, and yet something she cannot decide on. She was once fearless. What happened? Now she is cowering behind her door, unable to even look through the peephole and confirm her definite suspicions.

God, she could make the Cowardly Lion seem like an old war hero.

Alice hums softly to herself as her shadow flickers again. "Well, good thing I was prepared. Otherwise, this night would have been a long one." The sound of quiet movement stirs from behind the door; Alice's slim shadow becomes an amalgamated blur from her slow, lazy movements. But Bella is just confused. What is she _doing?_

There is more quiet shuffling, then, almost mockingly, a loud crisp sound of turning pages called from the other side. Was she _reading?_ Reading_…really?_

The silence continues almost cautiously, breaking suddenly with every turn of a glossy magazine page. Bella actually finds herself leaning in, looking to catch every soft movement Alice expels: whether it is a page turn or a small hum of interest, her ears perked to find every sound.

Then suddenly, just as before, Alice's voice pops out. "Did you know that ants never sleep? In their entire life!" Alice hums softly to herself, flipping another page. "That would suck, wouldn't it? I rather enjoy sleeping, I would find life tiresome other wise, wouldn't you?" Alice's light, syrupy voice floats out to meet Bella, her question instantly slotting underneath the rhetorical category whether intended or not.

Bella huffs, glaring at the oak door. Alice's quiet hum slowly dies down, but Bella's vexations have just begun. This needs to end. She is about to climb onto the first step of her stairwell of success; and she is stalling simply because a girl makes her nervous? Okay, more than nervous. This girl makes Mark Chapman look benign. But she is_ Isabella Swan_, the girl who tore down her competition for every available job in a blink of an eye, the girl who climbed to the top of her university with only a few scratches and bites on her record. This shouldn't be such a problem. It's just one girl, one little _insignificant_ girl.

Her pep talk is encouraging, but it doesn't quiet undermine the leaps and jumps her stomach perform. It doesn't block the smell, taste, and feel of soft raspberry and vanilla lips, a twisted simulation that pours over her senses in an endless, crashing ocean. Her words do nothing for her – as if mere thought alone has ever driven her anywhere – because it is her body that keeps her paralyzed.

Again, Bella revisited the old, dying question. Fight or Flight? It's never been much of a question before, but then again, there has never been such a feeling like this before. Like her heart has jumped from her chest and torn through her shirt, still pulsing, still alive, but remote. Alone. Isolated.

Bella sighs quietly. But remains. It's as if she stands before a fork in the road and instead of taking one, she sits down. She was usually blind sighted to any other option, having focused intensely on the one of her choice. However, this time was different. Staring at the worn, dirty paths of each road hasn't made up her mind yet, and so she remains quiet, sitting beside herself in her lost state of mind.

Before long, Bella has moved in her state of indecisiveness, now leaning limply against the doorframe. Perhaps she cannot face Alice, but maybe she could lure out the snarling, vicious remarks she used to whip out. It was a common impulse, a misstep, but even so, it was her safety. But now? Now it's nothing, because it has left her weak, left her to be vulnerable. Can she even speak?

Bella's lips tightened, forming a strained, purposeful line. Sad, isn't it? That she must question even _that_ now. Can't she rely on something? A minor detail perhaps, but it's something nonetheless.

_That's not fair. _Bella chides herself softly. She has Edward. _Edward can be relied on._ But even this is left with seeds of doubt, because who lies in bed now? It's not her surely. Bella's eyes carefully trace Edward's calm, sleepy form, her eyes lingering upon his peaceful, resting face. His hand rests against his core while the other drapes across his forehead; a slow curve of a smile pulls his lips up softly, revealing what must be a particularly pleasing dream.

Edward must be off in La La land again; and the only Alice he will ever concern himself with is the one that must follow him everywhere, through his little adventures in Wonderland.

Bella draws a long breath, her eyes fluttering close as her head tilts back, bumping lightly against the door. If she kept her eyes closed long enough, maybe she could picture the airport. The gray, dull room filled with people. Clouds descending her as she soared right above. Another long, weary breath is drawn, and she is crashing, grounded by the obvious lacking of her imagination.

With the hit of reality, the scent of raspberry and vanilla follows through, enticing her memory with its miserable taste. And if she allows herself just the slightest of leeway before whipping herself back in shape, she can even remember how it had felt. The very slightest of pressure; so warm and moist. A flick of a tongue, a gentle caress. Again and again, they rejoin.

With a cry of pain and horror, Bella slammed her head against the door. The sound reverberates throughout the apartment, clashing like loud bells inside her skull. And yet, her thoughts rung louder. However, this time, they were not alone. Pain now throbs like a beating, aching heart, pulsing and pounding into her temples. Light and dark figments of color clash against each other as her eyes roll in the back of her skull. A curtain flickers, and suddenly, Bella's thoughts are scattered, untraceable but louder as ever.

Bella groaned softly, her fingers racking through her hair unkindly. She payed no mind to the tender bumps that had risen, running her fingers against the rough skin, heeding no care to it even when it sparked with pain.

The only thing that hurt her head worse was the shrill, desperate voice that called out like a siren from behind the door. "Bella? Bella!" Alice's panicked voice called out desperately. "Are you hurt? Bella, can you speak? Speak to me Bella! Dear _god_ I swear if you don't say something soon I am breaking down this door whether I can pick the lock or not!" Alice's voice had resounded into a panicked shrill, becoming physically painful to listen to. Bella's ears rung.

"Christ Alice, I just hit my head!" Bella hissed out before wincing, rubbing the bump on her head again. It throbbed with every word, lapsing back and forth like calm, crashing waves.

"So…so you're not hurt?" Alice's tentative voice reached Bella's ears carefully, as if she knew any other sound would stab her like shards of glass.

"What do _you_ think Alice?" Bella said bitterly, leaning back into her protective shield. The door that hid her from Alice. It was made of wood and steel, and yet, with Alice's voice on the other side, it felt thinner than paper.

With a soft sigh, Alice moves again, her shadow flickering under the door. Even blinded by thick wood, Bella could feel the relief in Alice's voice, her forehead smoothing out again as a smile taints her lips. It makes Bella's stomach clench. "I apologize for my panicked state. My imagination often runs away with me."

Bella swallows her words. She doesn't want to have a conversation with her, who knows what could spark aid in her crazed, desperate mind? So she expels a brusque sigh and jerks her head to the side, as if to disconnect eye contact that was never made.

And silence swallows them whole. It engulfs them in the belly of an awkward little monster, its stomach walls constricting tightly around them, closing them in. It's uncomfortable. Words are meant to be said, but Bella refuses to say them; however, it doesn't keep them from building up in her chest, bubbling over like an old science experiment left unattended. It bubbles to a boiling point, becoming almost strenuous to remain silent, something she had no qualms with only moments before. How odd that it was a simple knock on the head that encouraged Bella to speak. One could only hope what a full head concussion would do.

Finally, she snapped.

"_Well?_" Bella hisses. "Don't just sit there, say something!"

Alice jumps in surprise, her head-snapping upright as Bella's voice calls for her attention. The small girl stares incredibly at the door that separates them, her expression the face of shock as Bella addressed her personally. Did she want to talk to her? Alice hadn't expected that. No, she hadn't expected that at all. In fact, her plan didn't consist any of this. She wasn't supposed to try and break into her apartment or even come to this level of the compartment in the first place. She was only going to wait. Wait long enough and something was bound to happen, right? Maybe Bella would have come down, somehow pulled to Alice as she was to Bella. However, such a girl's dream had not transpired. And if it had? Well, she hadn't thought that part through yet, but it most definitely wouldn't have been the end.

But she hardly took a step inside the building before she was already slipping into a closing elevator and going to Bella's floor. They were like magnets; their positive and negative polarities pulling each other together by the very force of nature. And before she could even accumulate enough thought to dissuade herself, she was picking at the lock. Another mark on the score that kept them apart.

But maybe she's wrong. Maybe this isn't so bad. Maybe their game isn't over, and the scoreboard can still be saved. _Maybe._

With a shaky breath, Alice spoke, her heart stuck in a fluttering mess. "I didn't know you wanted me to." The waitress leaned forward, now bent on her hands and knees as she nervously crept closer to the door. Her cheek now brushed against the cool wood as if she could somehow reach Bella through the solid mass between them. She just wanted to be closer, is that so wrong? Alice's answer was no, but a restraining order that is just waiting to be written says differently.

"Well it's not like I want you here, but somehow your silence is more concerning." Bella's voice drifts from behind the door, a beautiful melody to Alice's ears; if only she could just ignore the words. Unfortunately, for Alice, lyrics were the most important factor of any song. But as long as she's listening, she might as well sing along.

"I hadn't realized you felt uncomfortable, but then again, we _are_ separated by a door." Alice said softly. "But if you wish to speak pleasantries, I have all night and the next morning to entertain." She shifted closer to the very bane of her existence, lifting a hand to rest it against the wood as if she had intended for it to reach straight through, touching Bella with no heavy factor inbetween.

Bella scoffed, lifting her voice to return their slowly forming song. "If entertainment was your only intention, Alice, I can assure you I would have left ages ago." Would she have? Or would she have remained still, contemplating her flight or fight reactants stubbornly as she did previously.

Alice merely shrugged. "Well, to be honest, I hadn't expected you to stay in the first place. And as nice as your presence has been, it had been quiet the damper on my plans." The waitress absently rubbed the thin needle against her fingertips. What if she could pick the lock? Would she have really gone in? As demoralizing as her answer was, it was purely the truth: that yes, she would have strayed inside. But it was by instinct, like a moth's attraction to light; so in reality, it shouldn't really be considered as her fault, right?

"I'm sure it was." Bella answered dryly. "You know, I am told that the clinical definition of insanity is the tenancy to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results." Her voice sounded too calm, almost as if Bella was mentioning that her hair was brown rather than questioning the sanity of a person's mind. "I'm curious as to what this makes you." Alice smiled sadly on the other side, the soft pads of her fingertips slowly sliding down the door. _Maybe not_.

"Well, technically, my first attempt to break in was a success. So perhaps I am not insane, but I'm sure you can come up with plenty of other titles that fit just as perfectly." Alice said weakly.

She's not crazy right? No, of course not, she had perfect reasons to be here.

…And if anything, she was crazy in love. Love can make people do stupid, silly things_. Obviously_. However, Bella doesn't appear to appreciate the persistence and unwavering care Alice is putting into this. It's exhausting to get a heart broken repeatedly, and yet, Alice seems eager to jump back up for more after each withering crack.

Sighing softly, Alice eyed the door between them tentatively. What was a door, really? It was just wood, nails, and a steel doorknob. That couldn't be the only thing keeping her from Bella, right? One layer of a very breakable mass. Cocking her head, Alice touched the door gingerly, rolling the pads of her fingertips down its smooth textile. Then, with sudden resentment, Alice's fingernails dug into the wood. Pain sparked against her skin and rooted underneath her nail as she dragged her fingers down its very center.

The action was pointless…but the sound was piercing.

Bella shifted restlessly on the other side, a nervous sound coming from her throat. Her heart slowly started to pick up its pace and thundered in her ears. The calm pulse of her thoughts started to increase, starting to beat a maddened tempo in her head, spiraling her out of control.

The dull ache in her head returned; the low hum of suspicion swarmed. "What are you doing?"

Alice blinked, her fingernails faltering in their descent. "Hmm?" She cocked her head to the side in wonder, her mind still wrapped around Bella's question in thought. What _was_ she doing? She didn't know. Must she? Her eyes trailed the white carvings she had created, flushed with pleasure with her odd triumph. If anyone really tried, how easy could it be to break it down? A single barrier. And again, she had to resurface the question: what was a door but wood, metal, and nails?

"Alice, I don't know what you're doing, but…" Bella faltered, her voice rising in the weariness of her implications. "God, just _stop_." Bella's voice stabbed with a sharp edge, the heel of her hand slapping against the doorframe to knock Alice from her ministrations. It was like tapping a fish tank to gain attention, and with miner alterations, it could parallel this situation entirely. Both fish and Alice – already ready to follow your every movement – snapped back in surprise, eyes flashing rapidly and mouths gaping wide.

Surprise had knocked sense – as much as Alice ever had – back into her head. With new eyes to see through, Alice saw the white carvings with a restricted perspective, flushing with an entirely different reason. Alice's heart dropped, sinking like a heavy stone.

There was a time in Alice's life when she believed she was bound by morality. She stood by these convictions under the belief that she had governed herself to act pure and authentic. Now, however, she never felt so mentally abandoned. How did she lead herself so astray? How did it come to this point? Clawing at a woman's door for entrance; like some dog kicked and locked outside. Like some _pest._

Alice winced. Perhaps she _is_ insane. But not under the definition society has pushed her into. It's unjust if one were to really think about it, even if no one really does. After all, to get such a jagged point on an arrowhead, _someone_ had to cut the stone.

Alice sighed softly, shifting until her head rested against the marked door. She wilted against the support. "I'm sorry." Her voice trembled, sounding as if on the verge of tears.

No one answered.

Utter silence.

Alice cocked her head to the side, her stomach squirming uncomfortably. Turning her head slowly, she thumped her head against the door as her cheek rubbed softly against the solid barrier. Again, she cleared her throat, questioning the odd silence. "Bella?"

No answer.

Her heart dropped, lurched, and then jumped again. Alice cleared her throat nervously, her stomach knotting into gnarled, entangled ropes. "Bella, dear, did you hear me?"

Silence.

"Have you left?"

When no answer was returned, Alice dropped down on all fours and put her head against the floor. Squinting through the little crack, an odd filter of light blinked and sparked in her eyes. It sent an odd, cold prickling across her body, feeling as if a myriad of small nettles were pushing deep into her skin.

Bella wasn't there.

Alice whimpered softly, pushing herself closer to the small slit of light for a chance of a better sight. "Bella? Bella, hon, are you still there?"

Her quiet, inquisitive voice was met with only silence, setting her teeth on edge as her fingers dug into the slick tiles of the floor. A curtain flickered in her mind, blocking all reason from her brain as it often does, blotting out the boundaries that kept her from normalcy. Morality already abandoned, Alice rightened herself against the door, slapping her palms against the door wildly.

"Bella, please answer me! Have you left? Are you okay? Please don't ignore me darling!" Her fingernails dug and scraped against the wood, peeling off smooth trails of its oaky coat as her voice released a constant stream of trembling, desperate pleas.

These desperate cries were regarded quietly as Bella perched herself against the counter. Her blank, cold eyes stared absently at the door as her arms constricted around herself once more. She remained stoic inside her cold, little kitchen; her mind softly coaxing her frightened thoughts back to attention.

For a moment – as small as it was – she had lost her resolve. Everything that had stacked itself into a pyramid of distress had tumbled down on her, crushing her with all of its force. And so with a frightened little heart, she had scrambled up and scampered off like a wounded dog. But, as if tied to the end of a rope, Isabella found herself unable to get too far. Her feet halted hesitantly upon the threshold of her own bedroom as the quiet snores of her sleeping fiancé droned from inside.

And without much thought, she silently turned around and walked towards the kitchen; without even a word of consolation to assure her actions. It perplexed any logic that remains awake, watching blearily through her drowsy head.

The two worn paths of flight or fight are both trotted and worn, appearing nearly inconsequential in the balance of her future. Was it really even a choice? Could one voluntary decide which option was the best? Obviously not. If one were to think more deeply into it, it's more like teetering on a beam of glass than anything; the only conscious decision to make is whether or not you accept the consequences of the inevitable fall.

A sharp cry of despair pulled Bella's straying thoughts back to the ruckus outside her door. Alice thumped against the wall as she released a low, waning whine. Huffing, Bella pursed her lips as her eyes narrowed in distaste. Well if this keeps up, she will end up _never _leaving here, buried in the piles of complaints she will inevitably get from her neighbors. Or faint from exhaustion and never wake up again. Bella sighed softly. It's like owning a dog she never, _ever_, wanted.

But whether she wanted it or not, she'll be damned if she is called neglectful. So with a resigned sigh, Bella propped herself off from the counter. Closing her eyes in pure exhaustion, she slowly walked towards the door as she absentmindedly ran a hand through her tousled hair. Stepping closer, she slowly kneeled down and rapped the door lightly with her knuckles.

Alice, having resorted to thumping her head against the door for attention, now stiffened. Turning her head, Alice's lips grazed the wood as she stared blankly at the shadow underneath the door. "Bella?"

Bella's lips tightened, she still didn't like how her name sounded coming from Alice's lips, resulting in something that remotely framed a frown. But the heaviness of today lied on her shoulders, pushing down any free-willing remark that wanted to cross her lips, passing tired, forced words through instead. "Alice. I'm going to speak honesty right now and I want you to listen very carefully, can you do that for me?"

There was a moment of quiet silence, probably made from the extensive time Alice needed to realize Bella couldn't see her nod. It ended in a soft, tentative sound as Alice cleared her throat. "Yes. Yes, of course."

"I am leaving in…" Bella checked the clock above the kitchen counter, squinting her eyes in disbelief as the numbers blurred together. "In four hours." Bella finished off dryly. Fuck. "Yes, well, as you can imagine, I am exhausted. I honestly just don't have the energy – or time for that matter, to deal with this anymore. So I am asking you as _politely_ as I possibly can, for all of this to come to an end."

Alice was quiet for another long, dreary moment. It was just enough time for Bella's heart to allow seeds of hope to blossom, warming her with the possible thoughts of freedom. But by the end, Alice sighed softly, followed through with words that Bella wished she didn't hear.

"I can't promise that." Alice whispered weakly, her voice sounding thread-barren, as if she was also worn from the long nights use as well. "A part of me wishes that I could, that I could give that to you Bella. But I can't. I cannot make myself give up. It's like asking me to stop breathing, or to forcibly stop my heart from beating; it's not a voluntary choice."

Bella simply nodded. She felt too numb to feel much of anything else. Too tired to try to fight back. If this was truly Alice's decision, than she will have to find dismantle it in another way. If simply asking her wont do the trick, than she will have to step up her game. But not tonight. Tonight she needs to get at least a blink of sleep.

"Okay." Bella sighed softly, nodding absently to herself as if to reassure what she has said with a simple, unseen gesture.

"Okay?" Alice asked incredulously.

"Okay."

"You won't call the police?" Bella blinked. The police. _Police._ Why hadn't she thought of that? Did she honestly need a criminal to remind her that there are people actually hired to enforce the law? Bella sighed heavily, running her nimble, skittish fingers through her hair again. But it doesn't matter now, and honestly, even if she had the choice, she wouldn't have made the call.

The dial tone rings in her ears, trilling like bells of a church service that echoed cavernously through her head. It continued despite the location of her phone that sat miles away from her, staring dismally at the girl – once a woman – leaning against her own door in despair. But now it was far too far, and it would cause such troublesome interactions with people she didn't need to see. How sad, that it was simply a minor delay that caused Bella to not pick up the phone. A minor delay that could have saved her, now tossed aside in favor of getting to an airport on time.

But Bella hardly knew the impact she had made, pulling herself back into their conversation in fear of another delay. "No, I won't call the police." And that was that.

Alice was silent for a moment as if weighing every word that Bella had expelled, worried by the heaviness in each outspoken letter. Her heart grew heavy, knowing exactly how her words had gotten so weary. She wanted to say something, anything that could relieve her of this sudden depression. It wormed through her like a snake, coiling in her stomach and nipping at her heart, releasing poison through her bloodstream. But she remained silent for too long, caught in the steel trap of her emotion for a second too late, because soon, she really was alone.

Alice mouthed emptily for words that never came, her tongue drying out like a cotton ball in Bella's release. A strangled word came out, but neither was it answered nor accepted, echoing loudly in the empty hallway again.

Out of place. Locked out. Alone again it would seem, but that was hardly anything new.

~X~

"Bella?" Alice's voice drifted in, caressing her inner ear with her soft, velvety voice. Bella strained her ears, still drifting in the blackness of her sleep, confused but not yet alarmed. It was almost wanted. Such a soft voice. Bella hummed softly, pressing the soft downy of her pillow more firmly into her face. Breathing in deeply, the charming scents of vanilla and raspberry greet her, tainting her mind with a memory not yet remembered.

Again, the voice called out for her, its glossy coat coaxing a soft and uninhabited Bella from her sleep.

"Bella? Darling it's time to get up." Bella's eyebrows creased. _Umm...?_ The voice sounded different that time. Its sweet, syrupy sound remained, but it was as if a deeper, darker voice mimicked it, following just a delayed beat after it. The staggering voices called out her name repeatedly, flattening one voice over until it was only Edward that remained. Abolishing every part of Alice from the recess of Bella's mind.

"Bella, seriously, you are going to be late." Edward's deep voice boomed loudly into her ear. Bella jolted from her bed, the sluggish drowsiness instantly leaving her as she blinked away her sleep. Slowly, she started to pick up the pieces, both of her dream and reality, and the mixtures inbetween. Isabella stiffened her dark, blank eyes hardening.

Edward momentarily frowned, watching as Bella's eyes tightened, compelled by her dark, mechanical façade once again. Disappearing behind her walls again, it would seem. He sighed softly, rubbing the back of his head absently. Well, what was there to do? He would just irritate her if he tried, right? She had tough walls to break down anyway, even though, theoretically, he had never tried.

Sighing softly, Edward slowly excited the room, glancing nervously behind him at the blank, empty stare of his fiancé. Edward sighed, leisurely rolling up his crisp white sleeves to his elbows. As he made his way to the kitchen, he took out the _I Love Lucy _mug Bella used and filled it with her "energy drink". That would cheer her up, surely.

And perhaps she heard the soft clinking of glass or the cupboards open, because soon enough, she had roused enough energy to get up for her shower; if only for the hope to taste that pleasant burning once again. And when she could, it burned painfully in her chest as if it was a sun she had swallowed rather than the usual alcohol. It was such a relief.

Edward padded around the room, carrying large suitcases and limp duffle bags; things she most likely will never open again. The sunlight streamed in through the window, a constant reminder to check the clock above her head for any inconsistent changes that may have occurred. Bella took a long, deep breath. Come on, Bella, this is what you have wanted since day one. Could you at least manage some excitement?

"Hey, are you ever going to call your parents and tell them the news?" Bella sighed heavily. Of course. She forgot about her parents. Bella winced quietly, her lips curling at the idea of it. In all likelihood, most likely she will not.

"Yeah, I'll get to it." No, she won't. "Probably on the plane." Do they even allow that? "Thanks for reminding me, babe." Asshole.

Edward throws a charming smile from behind his shoulder before struggling to open the door. Bella froze, flinched, then lurched forward all at once. Her drink, now abandoned, spilled messily onto the granite counter (hopefully missing her) as she jerked forward in blind desperation.

"Oh wait Edward, here, let me get that." She quickly plucked the straps of duffle bags and suitcases from his hands, bumping the door open with her hip and slithering from his grip. Well, there we go. Humming forcibly to herself, Bella peeked out from the door and looked around.

Her eyes scanned the small hallway twice then back again, doubling her search for any hidden girl that was prepared to jump out and kidnap Isabella in any second. But after the seventh search, Edward's hand hesitantly rubbed her back, breaking Bella from her concentrations. Bella started, her spine stiffening in an irrational impulse as her features were governed once more, slipping back into the selfishly controlled.

Inwardly, however, she vigorously tried to console herself. After all, this is what she wanted, wasn't it? To be left alone? Isabella nodded silently as she stalked forward, her chin jutting upwards as she stepped with grace and determination towards the elevator.

For all the purposes of appearances, Isabella smirked; after all, it _was_ her special day. But inside, she was anything but proud; wilted and shriveled, she only looked through her peripherals, determined to catch Alice in the act for good. But if she had wanted that, she only had to look forward.

The elevator door opened, sweeping her inside and closing Edward out.

Thick metal doors closed, blocking Edward from entering and silencing his protests. Bella stared curiously at the closed doors as a soft beeping marked their slow descent, not entirely comprehending the situation she had literally walked into.

Bella turned her head slowly as she watched in a thick daze the quick, swift movements unfold. Alice swiftly stooped down; grabbing one of Bella's bags as she quickly pulled the elevator's trigger and halted their descent immediately. Bella gasped, jostling forward helplessly like a marionette cut from its strings, paralyzed from shock again.

And like a shot from a gun, Alice was before her, a bright and happy smile gracing her lips with excellence. And her bag in hand? "Good morning Bella! I apologize for the possible fright I may have caused, but I promise you it was of great importance that we rid of the 'third wheel' for this particular discussion." Alice's smile enhanced an impossible amount of happiness, beaming from her like rays of sunshine.

Bella's mind snapped like a steel trap, capturing Alice's meaning in a flash of a second. Isabella seethed, hovering over the woman with emanating hostility. "Ho—"

"I'm sorry Bella, but I'm going to have to stop you there. You see, I don't have much time, and coming here with a reason and all, I feel it is important that I get straight to the point." Alice smiled, her eyes glinting cryptically. Bella bristled. "Although I am certain you already have assumed my topics of discussion that is not what I have come here to say. You know my points, I understand yours. And so with deliberate thought, I have come here with a plan of action."

Alice watched from underneath her eyelashes as Bella coiled her arms across her chest, straightening into a stiff, intimidating posture as she all but snarled back at her. "And what would that be?"

The waitress paused, allowing the moment to fill with stage suspense, her expression governed into one of nonchalance. Inwardly however, Alice's heart jumped like a jackrabbit, bolting for the hills as the feral coyote in front of her snarled.

Taking a small step forward, Alice maneuvered her way past the steel walls of Bella's personal bubble. Isabella grew nervous immediately, even if not shown visibly. Although her features were controlled, Alice inspected the natural inflections of Bella's alarm, watching as her fingers dug fiercely into her forearm and her close-toed heels tapped rapidly against the floor. All hidden underneath the scornful snarl plastered across her lips.

Alice smiled sweetly, tucking a stray hair behind her ear before answering just as sweetly, "Well, isn't that obvious? I'm not going to let you leave." Alice paused, and then as if obvious, rolled her hand in a lazy gesture as she spoke. "Well, without _me_ of course."

The time it took for Bella to process this information was far longer than she would have liked to admit. It muddled slowly to its own conclusion with the enthusiasm of a dying horse; lazy and tired, it formed. She wasn't leaving unless Alice came with her, however, is she stayed, she might as well be Alice's prisoner. Or a stuffed trophy in the basement of her house. Either way, it is a situation that leaves little to be desired, and one she must wiggle out of.

Bella took a step forward, seemingly surprising Alice. She hadn't expected Bella to move forward, pushing them closer together. It leaves a small flicker of hesitation in her heart as her eyes follow the movement. But Isabella isn't halting, she steps closer with her arms still tight around her chest and her eyes burrowing deep holes into Alice.

Alice swallows gently, pushing down the sudden vulnerability and self-doubt that sprung up. However, it quickly sprung up again as Bella slowly uncoiled her hand, gently reaching around Alice to press the button back down. Her breath fans across Alice's cheek as the elevator lurches downward.

"I don't think so." Bella whispers softly. Her words touch Alice's skin like poison, leaving a thick, sticky coat in its wake. The elevator is in action now, slowly descending from their suspended state as it beeps with each floor that passed. Alice swallows softly, her eyes lifting to meet the dark and dangerous slits of Isabella Swan. Her heart still melts, and she finds it impossibly unfair.

Alice gathered herself again, sighing softly as if in disappointment. "Well, although your cooperation is preferred," Alice's gaze lifted, now staring deeply into Bella as if to ensure her eternal dedication. "It's not exactly vital."

The bell ringed, and the two doors opened. And for a small, teasing moment, Bella regarded Edward's absence in disappointment. Would it have been too hard to go down the stairs? Or was it such an inconvenience to see your girl off as she flew to a new state. It must have been, because when the metal doors peeled back entirely, both girls were met with absolutely no one to greet them.

Alice grasped the situation whole-heartedly with one hand, holding Bella's bag with the other. With no pestering Edward to stop her, Alice stepped forward, walking away.

Bella blinked. Her eyes followed Alice's retreating form suspiciously, as she made away with her bag in hand. Then, as if sensing Bella's hesitance, Alice looked over her right shoulder and smiled, "Come on dear, don't want to be late, now do we?" Her voice trilled that exciting, sweet voice, causing goose bumps to rise against Bella's skin.

Snarling, Bella stalked forward as she left the thoughts of Edward like shells on the beach, dropping them down delicately. Her heels clicked loudly against the floor as she blindly followed Alice's slim form. The waitress bounced ecstatically back into action, electrified from Bella's willingness.

Her mind whirled with possibilities, not quiet sure which one to choose. They were infinite, and yet limited all the same. She couldn't just follow her to New York, no, it wasn't quite that simple. It's not like her love can be amount to dollars and cents, and will most likely be insufficient in getting her a plan ticket. So the plan was to guide her away. Not kidnapping per-se, just…borrowing…until Bella can see the truth. That they are meant to be together.

Humming happily, Alice swung her arms back and forth, as she stepped out in front of the street. This was easier than she thought it would be! She thought she would have to bring Emmett along for reinforcements, but here she was, leading Bella almost _willingly_ away!

Alice giggled.

The small giggle quickly morphed into a gasp as her arm jerked painfully to the side. Her fingers tightened involuntarily, grasping the suitcase in an inescapable death grip as Bella tried to pry her fingers away.

Alice huffed. "Well, here I thought you were being reasonable!" Stomping her foot, Alice tugged back. It didn't amount to much. Alice's small arms shook in their determination, quaking as if related to one of the intricate machines that register earthquakes, becoming very unlikely that she should win anything by the end of their tug-a-war game. It was like a small kitten hitting head to head with a snarling, angry wolf. Bella, after all, was stronger, and in all senses, larger. Underneath the white cotton-clothes lie tense, capable muscles, her body structured to endure.

The woman now glowered down at Alice with a mixture of boredom and irritation, her fingers holding loosely to the strap of her own duffle bag while Alice's side quivered in the excess of her desperate clutches.

"Alice, how many times do I have to say it for you to actually listen to me?" Bella sighed briskly, her mouth tightening into a thin-lipped line as her eyes bore hardly concealed contempt. "It's not going to work out."

Alice pursed her lips, her bright, youthful face falling into one of the rare, tight expressions she wears, looking more like a mask than anything else. It was obvious her face wasn't structured to contain such misery, for it twisted her skin in the most displeasing of ways. It was like watching the gradual process of a child becoming an adult in the course of seconds. It was uncomfortable, but human-sympathy can only stretch so much.

"Then I suppose the same can be said to you." Alice said weakly, tugging the strap feebly. As the women stood, torn in their moment, bystanders silently gathered in the corners of the streets. A low murmur of whispers started to pinprick the silence, filling the lapse of sound with loud murmuring words.

This reluctant audience, though seemingly invisible to Alice, started to wear on Isabella. Her eyes flickered about, following the mundane movements of each stranger's lips. What started out as halfhearted became admirably stronger, her hand swiftly yanking the duffle bag from the woman's grasp in the short of two or three tugs.

Alice gasped, and with feeble, nimble fingers, she dimly grasped Bella's shirt. It slipped through her fingers like sand. Men and woman alike stopped and stared as the small woman blindly spoke with deaf ears, hardly hearing her own words as they called for Bella. They seemed insignificant, uttered in a purposeless way that fell dumbly from moving lips. But to Alice, it was her underlining hope, her last line, reeled out for someone to pull her to shore.

But what a hopeless case, it sunk the moment it was cast.

But with humiliation burning in her blood and sadness eating at her gut, she started to trot, and then run, and so, just as Bella slammed the taxi's door shut, Alice hit it with the heel of her hand. Pain sparked through her skin and ran across her bones. It was a tender hit, not even containing much strength to make a sound, but either way, suspicions were made. The taxi driver lurched forward in a moment of disorganized panic and peeled away from the sidewalk, speeding quickly down the lane.

And Bella was gone, tugging their connected red string painfully until it seemed to have broken off, disclosing their future together with a slap of a car door and the rear of its engine.

~X~

Bella sat stiffly in her seat, her hands clasped together as if molded and shaped from stone. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest and roared in her ears as the taxi driver made another daring turn.

"Excuse me? Do you mind slowing down?" Bella called out briskly, shifting uncomfortably in hear seat. Her eyes followed the quick blurs that were once objects, inanimate or not. The taxi driver didn't seem to hear her, or maybe he didn't understand. Releasing another heavy breath, Bella started again. "Sir? I would greatly appreciate it if you could slow down." Even _that_ was strained.

But at least that time the man heard, although, he didn't seem to come to the same conclusion. It was as if his ears only heard the inflections of a voice rather than its meaning, and in turn, shot a nervous glance over his shoulder at Bella as his eyes swarmed with confusion.

However, instead of meeting the man's eyes, Bella's attention caught something so much more horrific.

"Oh my god, look at the road!" Bella screetched.

The man blinked and spun around quickly; just in time to see the bright headlights of another car.

Sound blared as colors blurred, spinning around in an unorganized disarray. The car swerved into a panicked turn. Before any person, inside or out of the car, could grasp the motions or even have time to panic, the car lurched forward and off the thick cemented bourders, plunging them into grave darkening waters.

The last thing Isabella Swan could see, feel, or hear was the loud yell of the driver, the dark waters before them, and a silencing pain that smacked against her head, silencing all her thoughts in one terrifying gulp.

~X~

In a small hospital room, a thin burnette lies uncouncious in an even smaller bed. A heart moniter beeps her quiet existence; the dark bruises underneath her eyes and cotten lips are dubious, but the heart is beating, so by scientific theory: Isabella is alive.

A bleary sense of awareness enters Isabella's mind through the seams of her conciousness. The pads of her fingertips tingle, shooting rods of pain up her arm. A loud beat pulsates wildly against her temple, mirrored only by the the equally heavy thumps of her heart. The pain continues, distributing evenly through the rest of her body: joints, ankles, wrists, arms and legs. _Everything._

However, through the dizzyness of this new pain, a soft and quiet pleasure follows as well. Careful fingers brush tenderly against her bruised skin, emanating warmth from her cold, mechanical heart. The fingers move to touch everything, brushing gently against her arms, chest, cheeks and finally through her hair, removing patches of dried blood with tender care. That at least wasn't painful.

Only a single thing defined a thin line between reality and make believe. A heartbeat. A rhythic pulse. And that's all she had. Just a twitching, pulsing muscle. Everything else was just pain or pleasure without reasons or even why. Why was she feeling pain? Why was she so _warm_?

_Why?_

"Oh, Bella." A soft voice answered quietly. The gentle fingers faltered for a moment, brushing across her right eyebrow hesitently before descending again. The voice sighed again, repeating her soft quiet plea like a prayer.

The sound reverberated loudly in her mind, ringing like the sharp chime of a bell. It was _painful._ Loud and bright, it seemed to paint colors in the underside of Bella's eyelids, stabbing her with bright-hot lights. Bella groaned queitly, turning her head away from the brightness.

The voice gasped, undermining Bella's intentions entirely by brightening her voice in surprise. "Bella!" It stabbed Isabella like a butcher knife, slicing through her mind with its colorful light.

A warm hand landed lightly against her wrist as cool breaths fanned across Bella's cheek, touching her lips. Almost instantly, a cool breath of vanilla and raspberry touched deliciously against her tongue. It caused an erratic, unrecognizable impulse, rightening Bella's spine painfully and snapping her eyes open.

Pain stabbed, but this time it was almost ignorable. Because now, through her bleary vision sat a small woman with an almost recognizable face. Large swirls of hazel stare back at her attentively; present with an almost _common_ warmth in her ever-so uncommon eyes. Silky black spikes bounce energetically around her rosy cheeks as her plump, pink lips part. Bella half expected more painful, bright words to come falling out, but this time, they only moved.

She was _almost_ familiar. Almost recognizable. Almost known. In the dark fog of her mind, she was grasping blindly for a name or connection. But whenever it seemed her searching mind came up with something substantial, it wormed eagerly from her fingers. Leaving her in blacknesss again.

This strange woman sighed again, her fingertips gently running down Bella's arm. Then suddenly, her moving lips produced words, spilling them out messily. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be here. But when I heard...when I heard...I..." The woman broke off suddenly, jerking her head to the side as if a great pain suddenly blossumed in her chest. The stranger's fingers trembled against her skin, quivering with emotion as Bella sat there, emotionless. Blank. Empty.

With a deep, wavering breath, the woman revived herself, her voice renewed. "When I heard about the accident, there wasn't a single part of me that was strong enough to hold back." The woman chuckled sadly. "No self-restraint I suppose." Her pink lips turned down into an almost unnatural frown, her fingers selfishly leaving Bella to tenderly rub circles against her own temple.

Questions grew greedily in Bella's chest, growling angrily for attention in her blank, unhappy mind. Only figments of memories were left inside her, just a ghost of a life. It was as if someone had hazardously tossed the peices of different puzzles across the room, just waiting to be connected into one picture. But that was it. Small, already defined memories ghost around her mind, hardly containing enough information to tie a single thought together.

So with a tiny push, Bella cleared her throat, instantly wincing from the sensation. It was like swallowing shards of glass. But hungry, roaring questions in Bella's chest pushed her forward. "W-where a-am I?" Her voice sounded like sandpaper, rubbing aggressively against her eardrum.

Alice's large attentive eyes watched Bella warily for a moment, flickering over every point in Bella's face with rapt attention. Then, carefully, she answered. "You're in a hospital Bella. You've been in a coma induced sleep for three months."

Three months. Coma. Sleep. Hospital. They were all words that obviously held meaning, but in the fog of her mind, she couldn't grasp the importance of them. They were inconsequential.

Alice's eyes watched Bella carefully for a reaction, marking down every insignificant movement. And for Bella, there was none, which to Alice, was just as important.

"Bella..." Alice tested out carefully, her voice dipping down gently as she leaned forward. Her eyes remained locked intensely on her, refusing to let her go. Bella wished she had stayed quiet. "Do you know me?"

Silence extended painfully between them. It filled with an uncomfortable heaviness of unspoken words and unrecognizable expressions. Bella groped helplessly in her head, wanting something_, anything_ to connect her to this body of hers, to this life. But no, it was just her heart. A rhythmic pulse. And yet, when she encompassed it with her hand, feeling it beat against her palm, it was insignificant. It was like it wasn't even hers, just another sound and motion in this body of hers.

Sighing softly, Bella shook her head slowly. The woman gasped, leaning back in apparant surprise. In a tight, weary voice, she continued. "Not at all? Do you remember anything?"

Another sullen, queit shake of her head.

Alice stared wide eyed at Bella in silence, her expression torn between horror and relief. Which was odd, but Bella didn't question it. What did she know? A painfully silence passed between them, but when void of words, it made up with wild, anxious movements. Alice bit angrily at her thumb as her eyes flickered about in a vicious circle, landing on Bella before circling around again.

Then with an almost resigned sigh, Alice dropped her hand as her body rippled with tense, estatic energy. Her wide, fearful eyes landed on Bella with such a heavy sense of gravity that it sparked her heart to an entirely different rhythm. Bella's body coiled, her spine stiffening again, from another unexplainable impulse.

However, before Bella could even attempt to make sense of any of this, Alice had carefully lifted from her chair and tentatively kneeled down beside her. The woman's dark, wide eyes flickered around as if she were a criminal performing a horrible crime, afraid of getting caught. A shaky, skittish hand slowly crept closer to Bella and eventually encompassed it entirely.

Then, with the heaviness of her gravity, Alice pulled Bella's gaze upward, locking their eyes together again. Her plump, rosy cheeks curled into an unnatural, strained smile, baring her teeth dangerously. Whether intended or not, it caused ripples of uncertainty to course through Bella's body, making Alice's next words all the more harrowing.

"I'm your wife."

**Ta-da! Surprise? Probably not, but anyhow, this was my intention from the very beginning. Was it a pleasent surprise? Or horribly disheartening? I didn't want to put it into the summary even though this will be the basis of the story, just because I wanted people to read it and find out by themselves.**

**But this is pretty much what my story will consist of: Bella looses her memory and falls into the immoral hands of Alice Cullen, under trickery and lies, will Bella be able to accept this new life, or will she reject it? And if she did, could she ever learn to love Alice? (I think we know this answer)**

**So here is my question: should I put this in my summary to save other unsuspecting readers such as yourself from falling into the same trap? Or should I keep it the same? (I probably will keep it the same just 'cause that summary won't make sense to my title. Which is relevant by the way. Listen to Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars and you may just enjoy this story more?)**

**I got kind of carried away in this chapter, I am sure you have noticed. But I got so attatched to this stalker!Alice that I couldn't help myself. I'm kind of already warped into this new world I have created.**

**And as always readers, review.**


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